“I grabbed my daughter and we both fell” – mother recalls horrifying experience of home collapsing

…now living in 6×8 zinc structure

A mother of one and her daughter have been forced to live in a small zinc structure measuring six feet by eight feet. This is after their Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice home came crashing to the ground on Wednesday night.
After living in the building for eight years at the Cow Dam Street, Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice (Region Five) home, Kamlawattie Ramnauth said she is still hoping to have her house rebuilt.
The 31-year-old single parent, in recounting Wednesday night’s experience, said it was a frightening one, noting that before the building crumbled, there were strange sounds that caused her to become afraid.

According to Ramnauth, it was after 22:00h when she and her eight-year-old daughter were preparing for bed that she heard strange sounds.
“I hear something knocking on the house but when I looked outside, I didn’t see anything but something told me to pick up the cutlass but then I decided to just lock the door and didn’t worry to get the cutlass. As soon as I bolt the door, I hear things going more hard and then the house started to go down and I grabbed my daughter and we both fell.”
She said she escaped with a minor injury to her wrist while her daughter was unhurt.
However, the woman, who makes a living selling plantain chips, egg balls, and other foods around the village, said they could not immediately get out of the building because the doors could not open.
“After the verandah fell and the entire house fell. When the house fell down, the door opened and then we got to come out.”
She said neighbours ran to their rescue and she spent that night at a neighbour’s home and the following day she got assistance to construct the shack using six zinc sheets to make the three walls, leaving one side open for exit and entry.
Ramnauth said she is grateful for any assistance that persons may want to offer her to rebuild.
“I am hoping to just to have to sleep here two days more until somebody comes and help me to repair the house,” she added.
Persons who may wish to make contact with Ramnauth can do so by telephone number 592-652-1780. (Andrew Carmicheal)