Investigators believe deadly Corentyne fire may have been malicious act

The Guyana Fire Service (Berbice Division) is treating the deadly fire at No. 64 Village, East Berbice Corentyne, as a malicious act.

Hemwatie Singh, a 34-year-old housewife, and four of her five children perished in the blaze. The children who died with their mother are Kelvin Ramjatan, 14; Brandon Ramjatan, 10; Tomesh Ramjatan, 2; and Cindy Ramjatan, 11.

Only the woman’s 17-year-old son managed to escape.

Divisional Officer Clive McDonald told News Room that early investigations suggest the fire was deliberately set. Authorities are now focusing on this possibility as they continue their probe.

Seventeen-year-old Kevin Ramjatan, the eldest sibling and sole survivor, told investigators that he was asleep on the verandah of the upper flat when he awoke around 02:00 hrs to find the house engulfed in flames.

According to him, the fire appeared to have started near his father’s car, parked under a shed at the bottom of the house.

Kevin recounted seeing his mother and siblings trying to flee but said the fire was too intense and thus, they were unable to escape.

Afterward, he ran to his grandmother’s house in the same village to alert relatives. By the time help arrived, the house was destroyed, and the remains of his family were later recovered.

A second nearby house was also destroyed in the fire, but it was unoccupied at the time.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves throughout the country. Over the weekend, an emotional funeral service was held for the mother and children, and their remains were laid to rest at the No. 66 cemetery.

The 17-year-old survivor was briefly detained by police during the investigation but has since been released. Meanwhile, Regional Commander Shivpersaud Bacchus confirmed that authorities are awaiting a detailed report from the fire service. He could not confirm if anyone else is currently in custody regarding the case.

The investigation remains ongoing.