Mataura Sukraj and his wife Bhashkimuri Balkissoon along with two of their three children after the fire
Five persons are now homeless after a fire on Monday evening in the town of Rose Hall on the Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Despite efforts to douse the blaze, the fire completely destroyed the two-bedroom building at Lot 72 Two Twin Sister Street, Rose Hall Town.
Forty-nine-year-old Bhashkimuri Balkissoon said she and her two daughters were in the lower flat in hammocks about 20:30h when one of her daughters saw the flames in one of the rooms.
“When a-we come out in front, we see the fire. It catch on the wall. We run and get water to out the fire, but we can’t make it. Everything is fire already; so quick… Everything bun out, nothing saved – all my money, all my clothes, I don’t even have underwear to wear. My jewellery and everything burn in the house.”
The aftermath of the fire
According to Balkissoon, her husband joined them and they formed a bucket brigade, but to no avail because of the thick billowing smoke.
Her husband, Mataura Sukraj said when he was awakened, there was not much he could have done but ensure his family was safe.
The cane harvester was asleep when family members first saw the flames.
“My ‘lil daughter run up and say fire in the house. I get up and tell them to pass a bucket and I start throwing water and the fire catching more plenty. So, I tell them to run out of the house and we run out, and then neighbours come out to help and then the fire reel (fire truck) come a little later. We couldn’t do nothing,” he recounted.
The cane harvester, who also rears poultry, said he will have to sell the birds since he has nowhere to keep them.
Balkissoon said they have been renting the property for more than two years now. “Me nah get one place right now. We get nowhere to go. We minding some stock and we got nowhere to go.”
Persons who are willing to assist the family can contact them on (592) 650-8356 or (592) 610-7193. (G4)
