THE close-knit community of Number 64 Village on the Corentyne Coast has been left devastated following a Tuesday morning fire that claimed the lives of a mother and her four young children.

The blaze, which erupted at approximately 02:00hrs, quickly engulfed the family’s two-storey wooden house, leaving little chance for those who perished to escape.

The deceased have been identified as 34-year-old housewife Hemwatie Singh, 14-year-old Kelvin Ramjattan called ‘Rovin’, 10-year-old Brandon Ramjatan called ‘Ravin’, two-year-old Tomesh Ramjatan called ‘Arvin’ and 11-year-old Cindy Ramjattan called ‘Emily’, a New Market Primary School pupil. A fifth child, 17-year-old Kevin Ramjatan called ‘Alex’ was able to escape without any injuries.

In a Facebook post, President, Dr Irfaan Ali expressed his deepest condolences to the grieving relatives.

“My heart aches for their loved ones as they cope with this unimaginable loss. No words can ease the pain, but I hope they find comfort in the love and memories shared. May their souls rest in peace, and may the family find strength in this difficult time. Please keep them in your prayers,” he said.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) in a statement said ranks are investigating a fire of unknown origin that destroyed a house belonging to Rohan Ramjattan called ‘Map Head,’ a 36-year-old cattle farmer and an unoccupied wooden and concrete house (owner unknown), situated north of the house owned by Ramjatan.

The release said that Kevin related that at about 02:00hrs he was sleeping on the verandah on the upper flat of his father’s house when he was awakened by flames emanating from the lower flat where his father’s motor car was parked.

The teen related that he immediately ran down to the lower flat using the inner staircase and found his mother and siblings attempting to get out of the building.

“They tried to run out of the house but as they saw the large flames of fire in front of the house, they turned back and went upstairs and were trapped in the fire,” the police said, adding that it is suspected that they all perished in the fire.

The information gathered by police investigators also revealed that a GPL wire was on fire last week and again on Monday night.

Further, the 17-year-old told ranks that he closed the steel gate to the property on Monday night at about 18:30hrs, and went upstairs, and when he escaped from the fire, it was open.

“He could not call the police immediately because he did not have a phone, and neither were the neighbours responding. He proceeded to his grandmother’s house in the village and took relatives to the scene. By that time, the entire building was engulfed in flames,” the release added.

Fire tender #101, headed by Section leader Williams and two crew members, arrived at about 03:35hrs and went into action. After the fire was extinguished five burnt bodies were found.

The remains were escorted to the Skeldon Public Hospital’s Mortuary awaiting post-mortem examinations.

The police said that the father Rohan Ramjattan, was arrested by police in Berbice on Monday afternoon for a cattle-rustling matter, and at the time of the fire was in police custody.

The police and the Guyana Fire Service are currently conducting investigations.