A former headmaster of Bladen Hall Multilateral School perished after being trapped when an early-morning fire engulfed his Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home on Friday.
Dead is 88-year-old Moses Elias, also known as “Bro Mo”. The fire reportedly started around 04:00h on Friday at the Quamina Road, BV home, which had been solely occupied by the former headteacher for decades.
Dead: Former Headteacher Moses Elias
Within minutes, the wooden and concrete two-storey structure was engulfed, trapping Elias inside. Residents recalled hearing explosions followed by screams emanating from the heavily-grilled home before the fire consumed the house.
Despite efforts to rescue the elderly man, residents were unable to enter the house owing to the grilled doors and windows. The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was summoned to the scene, but by the time the firefighters arrived, there was little they could do since the entire building was in flames.
Dead: Richard José
The charred remains of Elias were subsequently found in the kitchen area. Residents expressed sadness over the loss, noting that Elias was well known by many and had a preference for solitude despite family visits. The GFS has launched an investigation to determine the cause and origin of the fire. Elias’s death marks the third reported death by fire for the year.
On January 2 this year, a Corentyne teacher died at Port Mourant, Corentyne after a blaze destroyed his and his neighbour’s house. The deceased was Tokant Deokharan, 44, who resided at Manager’s Quarters, Port Mourant, Corentyne alone in a one-storey wooden and concrete house. The fire reportedly started at Deokharan’s house and spread to his neighbour’s two-storey wooden and concrete house, destroying both and killing Deokharan in the process.
Dead: Tokant Deokharan
The Fire Service was alerted to the fire at approximately 22:17 on the day in question. Upon arrival, firefighters observed two buildings fully engulfed in flames and smoke.
Meanwhile, on January 5, a Venezuelan national, Richard José, perished after a fire of unknown origin ravaged the top flat of a building at Plantain Walk, West Bank Demerara (WBD). The building, according to reports, had been owned by 68-year-old Bernadette Gordon, who had been occupying it along with 27-year-old Canaan Bacchus.
The Fire Service received a distress call just after 03:31h, and firefighters from the La Grange Fire Station, along with a water tender and a water carrier, were dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, they observed the two-storey building on fire, with the upper flat fully engulfed in flames.
The firefighters managed to contain the blaze to the first floor and to minimise threats to nearby buildings. (G9)
