RESIDENTS of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, yesterday expressed their anger and outrage following the death of a 23-day-old baby girl who perished in a fire on Wednesday night, when she was left home alone with her six-year-old brother. Villagers told this newspaper that the parents of the children were in the habit of leaving them alone at home and now a precious life has been lost because of their indifference.

At the scene on Wednesday night, many residents were moved to tears as they realised the baby was in the building engulfed in flames, and all they could have done was stand by and watch.
They had summoned the nearby Leonora Fire service on seeing the blaze, and the firemen managed to contain the fire to one building.
Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle yesterday told the Guyana Chronicle that the fire started when the six- year-old lit a match and left it on the mattress in a bedroom where he was playing.

Gentle said that the parents told investigators that they had gone to the shop nearby to make a purchase of bread and had left the children unattended.
The baby girl, Aleisha Budhram, was born on New Year’s Day.

Meanwhile, the home owner, Kevin Smith, called “Belly”, who was still dazed by the incident, told this publication yesterday that he was not at home when the fire started, but on hearing about it he rushed to the scene.
Reaching the fire at his home, Smith, a food vendor, and brother of the dead baby’s father, stated that he could do nothing but stand by as his house was devoured by flames, displacing six persons.
The man, at his mother’s home at nearby Sea Spray, yesterday, noted that he had lost everything.
Smith explained that his brother and his wife came to their home recently, saying that they would like to stay there for a few weeks, with the children, and he had no objection.
He said that he is very upset, especially at the loss of the baby.