Kitty fire victims slowly building back with support

Several persons who were affected by a fire at Kitty, Georgetown, that destroyed three buildings on May 1, have received some public support since the incident occurred.

The fire reportedly started at about 12:00 hrs at a building located between Thomas and Pike Streets. It quickly engulfed three buildings and scorched the sides of neighbouring buildings.

Chanbrika Seebharie, the owner of one of the apartment buildings there, said the building was insured but he has to await to completion of the investigation. That building cost about $50 million, not including the valuables inside. He lived there with his parents who are both pensioners. His nephew also lived in one of the apartments there.

Recounting the events of Thursday, the man said he couldn’t save anything because his priority was getting his family out of the building.

“We were home and my tenant came home and saw the fire next door in the downstairs, he reached out to me.

“The most I could get done was get my father out because he is in a wheelchair,” Seebharie said.

Fernando Viera also spoke with the News Room on Tuesday. He said support has been pouring in from government and private sector agencies. He lived at the apartment building with his sister, Shakira.

The Private Sector Commission, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Ministry of Housing and Water are also in contact with the affected persons, trying to assistant them to return some normalcy.

He explained that the Housing Ministry has assured that persons who have pending houselot applications will be assisted in expediting this.

The fire reportedly originated in the building where Evelyn Benjamin and her son, Randall Duguid lived. Duguid previously told the News Room that he managed to help their elderly neighbours in the bottom flat out of the building. The women are Verlie De Barros, 87 and Lucille Peters, 97, who are cousins. It is believed the fire started in their flat but the cause remains a mystery.

“We’re waiting on the report from the Fire Chief so we can go into the different establishments to get our documents back,” Benjamin told the News Room on Tuesday.