3 homeless after mentally unstable teen sets home ablaze

Three persons are now homeless following a midday blaze at a building at Number 65 Village Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice Corentyne) on Saturday.
The fire was started by a mentally unstable teenager. This is according to the teen’s mother, Khamlawattie Singh, who said she was underneath the house washing clothing when she sniffed smoke and upon investigating, she saw a mattress in the bedroom on fire.
“He nah deh pon he senses, this ah one week now; … I ain’t know wha happen to he,” the unemployed woman said.
According to Singh, by the time she ran into the house, the fire was already spreading from the mattress to the wall.
“Me ah pull he fuh come out the room and he ain’t wan come out. So, I come out back fuh save myself. I try to pull out the sponge [mattress] because the sponge full with fire. I pull the sponge and carry it on the verandah and it start to catch there too,” the woman revealed.
According to the mother of two, she was trapped on the verandah and forced to jump off to escape the flames.

She said her son jumped through a window to escape flames also.
According to Singh, she had placed the mattress on the floor so her son could lie on it. At the time of the fire, her 15-year-old daughter was on an errand.
The woman said she lost all of her kitchen utensils and clothing.
“All the things that I does use; clothes, footwear, wares and so; everything done.”
Singh could not say what her next move is going to be but said she is relying on God. However, she is encouraging persons who may want to assist.
“Right now I need some help. The Government had given me $250,000 to make a chicken pen and everything burn – the Government money burn out too. I didn’t get to save nothing,” Singh said while explaining that all she had was the clothing which she was wearing at the time of the fire. Police have since arrested the teenager. (G4)