A four-year-old boy, Junior Anderson, tragically perished in a house fire on Friday afternoon at ‘C’ Field Sophia, Georgetown. Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire was caused by children playing with matches.
The naked flames ignited a mattress, which then set nearby combustible materials on fire, leading to the spread of the flames throughout the building.
The Guyana Fire Service in a statement revealed that the child lived with his parents, Nigel and Shonnette Anderson and three siblings – Michael, 11, Waveny, 15 and six-year-old Cynthia.
The fire started at about 15:59hrs and firefighters arrived on the scene at about 16:06hrs.
“The fire resulted in the complete destruction of the building and its contents,” the Fire Service stated.
According to reports, three children were left in the care of a 16-year-old. According to the teen, she left the children playing and went to lie down and fell asleep.
“The teen reported that she was awakened by one of the children, who told her that the house was on fire. In a panic, she ran out of the house. The Fire Service was contacted, and upon checking, it was discovered that one of the children was unaccounted for. Charred remains were later uncovered by firefighters after the fire was extinguished,” the Fire Service said.
In the wake of this tragedy, parents and guardians are reminded to educate children on the dangers of fire starters (matches and lighters) and warn them about their use.
DO NOT leave children unattended or at home without adult supervision.
Keep children away from the cooking area, and ensure matches and lighters are out of their reach at all times.
Remember to equip homes with fire prevention and firefighting devices like smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
