A FIRE of unknown origin completely destroyed the home of a Tain, East Berbice, Corentyne family on Thursday. The fire started around 15:15 hrs in a bedroom on the upper flat of the Lot 60 Fifth Street, Tain Settlement building. In the aftermath of the blaze, seven persons were left homeless, including five children. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, one of the occupants of the house, Jagdeo Ramotar, 36, said he was at work when he was alerted about the fire.
He quickly headed for home, and when he arrived, he was greeted by a ball of flame that engulfed the upper flat of the two-storey wooden and concrete structure.
Ramotar and his wife, Amanda, along with their five children, aged one, four, six, 10 and 12, occupied the rented property.
In tears, he said his family was unable to save anything from the blaze. “I was at work, and I hear fire; and when I left to come home, the place already burnt. I am very saddened; I gotta try make up another move,” he said. Meanwhile, Amanda, 33, a housewife, said she was downstairs with the children when she began smelling smoke, and upon investigation, she noticed the front bedroom was engulfed in flames and thick smoke. She quickly collected the children and ran to safety. Amanda was planning to usher in the New Year by going to church in the evening, and then quietly spend the New Year with her family. However, with no place to call home, she is uncertain what will be the next move. A number of neighbours, who formed a bucket brigade until firefighters arrived at the scene, were unable to control the fire. The family estimated their losses at $1M. Persons desirous of assisting the family can contact them on cellphone number: 665-2748.
