Mother, bedridden daughter perish as Westminster house goes up in flames

An elderly woman and her bedridden daughter tragically perished early Friday morning when their Westminster, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home was engulfed in flames.
Dead are 76-year-old Phyllis Smith and 45-year-old Venita Smith – a former teacher. The two-bedroom flat wooded home was occupied by the two deceased, Phyllis’ son Vidnauht, 30, her adopted daughter, Chandanie Sookraj, 21, and Sookraj’s four-year-old daughter.
At the time of the blaze – 05:00h – everyone except Vidnauht was at home.
According to information received, at about 21:30h on Thursday evening, the family retired to bed with everything intact. However, at about 5:00h, Chandanie was awakened by a heat emanating from the bed-ridden woman’s bedroom and upon checking, she observed a section of the room was already engulfed in flames.

As such, she grabbed her daughter and rushed to safety after which she alerted the neighbours who in turn contacted the Guyana Fire Service (GFS). Smith and her daughter were left behind as fire engulfed the entire wooden building.
Fire tenders and crew from the La Grange and Eccles Fire Service responded to the distress call. By the time they arrived at the location, the house was completely gutted. The blaze was, however, contained after the firefighters went into action.
The scene was later processed during which the bodies of the two women were discovered.
At the scene later that morning, a devasted son and brother could not contain his emotions while speaking with the Guyana Times.

“I was not at home when the fire started and when I get the message, I rush home and see my mother done burn up… it was only bone and ash… it really hurt me because she was really strong…she dead on top of my sister,” he cried while pointing to the area where the charred remains were found.

The grieving son believes his mother purposely stayed inside the burning house to rescue his sister.
“My sister cannot walk so my mom must have tried to hold her… meh sister was sick for a couple years now and she (mother) is the one that does look after she, she never left she side.”
The son is now left to deal with more pain after losing his father last year. He added that the house was constructed by him and his father.
“Me and my father built this house brick by brick… my father died last year and this morning my mother gone. I have no words for what transpired here… it’s so sad this had to happen.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Fire Chief, Dwayne Scotland has confirmed that the fire started from an overloading circuit.