11 homeless as Linden house goes up in flames

Eleven persons are now homeless following a fire that destroyed a house at lot 146 Dageraad Avenue, Mackenzie, Linden on Sunday afternoon.

The house, which contained two apartments, was home to two security guards – Latoya and Shellon Kato – their children and other relatives.

The women were at work at the time of the incident, but their children were at home when the fire started sometime after 13:00hrs in a room at the back of the house.

After the fire broke out, the children escaped unhurt. Nothing was saved from the house, although firefighters responded promptly to the scene.

Both women, who are single parents, were summoned to the scene; Latoya said everything she worked hard for was destroyed, while Shellon was in tears.

“When I come home, we couldn’t get to save nothing… We ain’t even get clothes to put on… Last night, me ain’t even get money to buy a coil… Before I left the house I turn off me lights, I plug out me fan… Me ain’t get no TV, DVD, nothing.

“TV deh in the rest of rooms but not in the backroom…Everything plug out. Nobody ain’t able to say how the fire start,” Shellon told the News Room.

She said the room where the fire started was locked.

The family revealed that there was a fire at the house over 20 years ago. Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh and team, who were in the Linden community at the time on a vaccination outreach, paid a visit to the grieving family at the scene.

The Minister, who consoled the women and their families, assured that assistance would be given. Dr Singh summoned the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Executive Officer (REO), Dwight John, to the scene and urged him to ensure that assistance is provided to the families and to ensure they had somewhere to stay.

“We’re going to try to see what we can do… and we’re going to get the REO to try see what he can do, at least, temporarily to see if we can get an arrangement for you to sleep… When I heard about the fire, I already spoke with the REO…”, the Minister said.