Family homeless after fire destroys Mon Repos house

A woman and her sons are now homeless after their house was destroyed by a fire of unknown origin during the wee hours of Saturday.

Haymattie Mangal lost everything she owned in the fire at Lot 105 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.

The fire reportedly started at about 02:20 hrs and quickly engulfed the two-storey wooden and concrete structure.

Mangal was sleeping at her daughter’s house nearby when she received the call that her house was on fire. She immediately rushed to the location when she saw a huge crowd gathered.

Her sons were at work at the time.

“Neighbours said them ain’t see nothing but just they hear ‘pack pack pack’ [and] things start to fall.”

She believes it was an act of arson since there is no electricity to the house.

“Somebody light this place because all the time the boys sleeping in here nothing nah happen…Right now we homeless, we have nowhere to turn because if I sleeping by my daughter, my daughter can’t find nowhere to put me because she struggling she self, she paying a rent. We have nowhere to go,” the crying woman lamented.

Mangal explained that her deceased husband was an alcoholic and she maintained the family by vending with her sister at the Mon Repos market. She and her sons have been occupying the house for the past 35 years.

Asked what they will do now, Mangal said, “Well them two go gah tie hammock on the market road and sleep and me go go by me daughter and that’s it. It nah safe out deh.”

Anyone willing to assist the family can contact them on 636-0892 or 638-4402.