Man dies in fiery Berbice blaze

Carl Persaud, a resident of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice (WCB), died Monday night in a massive blaze that destroyed two buildings and damaged a third.

Persaud lived alone in the upper flat of one of the buildings; the bottom flat of the building was used by the Nalico & Nafico Insurance Company.

The News Room understands that other residents saw his hand outstretched through a bedroom window as the fire spread throughout the upper flat of the house.

The inferno, which began at about 17:45 hrs, destroyed a second building which was owned by Ruth Persaud, an overseas-based Guyanese. The upper flat was vacant but the lower flat housed the Medical Aid Pharmacy, owned by 38-year-old Rochelle Cheefoon, and Ramesh’s Jewelry, owned by 46-year-old Ramesh Persaud.

The third building, which was partially destroyed, is owned by Sundnrada Jagmohan, a 46-year-old Guyanese teacher residing at Bush Lot Public Road, WCB. This building housed two businesses on the lower flat while the upper flat was partly burnt.

Firefighters from the Onverwagt Fire Station arrived shortly after the blaze began and were subsequently joined by others from the Mahaica Fire Station, New Amsterdam Fire Station and the Guyana Sugar Corproation (GuySuCo) fire department.

By the time the fire was extinguished, however, the properties were completely gutted and the other damaged. Subsequently, firefighters found the burnt body of Persaud.

The body was removed and is currently at the Bailey Funeral Home awaiting an autopsy.

The Guyana Fire Service is yet to determine the cause of the fire.