Weeks after wife dies, Martyrs’ Ville man loses house in fire

Kenneth Persaud, a 75-year-old retired sugar worker, lost his Martyrs’ Ville, East Coast Demerara (ECD) house to a massive blaze on Wednesday night.

All of his possessions, including some funds he had saved, went up in flames and left him distraught and unable to comprehend his next move.

What’s worse, is that Persaud is grappling with his loss just weeks after his wife of over four decades passed away. She died on October 18.

“Me run out ah road and all body, all body ah neighbourhood run out and see fire but nobody can save anything,” a tearful Persaud recounted to the News Room on Thursday.

He highlighted how both he and his wife toiled for years to purchase all of their possessions to add some comfort to their lives, and to leave behind something meaningful for their grandchildren.

After her passing, Persaud said he made other purchases. Those items too are now gone.

“She (his wife’s) brother them come and they buy wan big 40 inch TV, me buy wan cordless phone… and everything bun up,” he lamented.

Though he doesn’t know how the fire started, Persaud believes it may have been maliciously set. A night before, he came home to a ransacked house.

Fire Chief (ag) Gregory Wickham confirmed that the fire was maliciously set. Investigations are continuing, however.

Anyone interested in supporting Persaud can contact his relative, Mahadeo Nanku, at 220-7468.