A mid-morning fire completely destroyed a dwelling house at High Reef, Albion, Corentyne, Berbice on Monday, leaving seven persons homeless including a nine-month pregnant teacher.
At the time of the fire, no one was at home.
A neighbour, Gangadai Ganesh, 58, told Guyana Times that he saw flames coming from a bedroom window of the upper flat of the two-story building.
She explained that there were strange sounds coming from the building which caught her attention. “When me turn an watch at the people place, me see the fire
Shennisa Willie and two of her three children
start show, so me start holla fo neighbours but nobody come out. Nobody na even ansa,” the woman said.
Ganesh explained that several phone calls were made to the fire department, but all were unsuccessful. After efforts to contact the fire department failed, villagers went to the nearby Albion Sugar Estate to seek help of their fire unit. It was sometime afterwards that another unit from the Rose Hall Fire Service arrived.
Shennisa Willie, an assistant teacher at the Community Based Rehabilitation Centre at Port Mourant said when she arrived at the scene of the fire, the entire two-story building was burnt and the firefighters had not yet arrived. She said she was at her landlord’s home when she learned that the house was on fire and
A section of the burnt building
rushed over.
“When I reach at the back there, the whole house already burnt. When I reach then the fire reel reach; the estate one and then after the other one come but everything was burnt.
Reports are the fire was first seen coming from the back bedroom. Willie told Guyana Times that only a bed was in that room. She told this publication that when she left home the stove was turned off and all electrical appliances were
Eyewitness Gangadai Ganesh
turned off.
According to Willie, she left home at about 09:15h and the fire was seen about 30 minutes later. Willie and her husband have been renting the upper flat over the past six months and lived there with their five children ages 11, 10, nine, five and two.
Meanwhile, the landlord, Somattie Mohamed, claimed that she was recently offered $8 million for the property but refused to sell. She is of the view that the fire is an act of arson.
Meanwhile, the couple is appealing to the public for assistance. Willie said all the items, which she purchased for her unborn child, were destroyed in the blaze. (Andrew Carmichael)
