Police hunting suspect who set couple on fire

— victims continue to battle for lives at GPHC

The suspect who doused a man and his reputed wife with gasoline before setting them on fire is still on the run, but the Police are combing the backdam areas in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) to locate him.

However, the 35-year-old burn victim, Lyndon Joseph, along with his 30-year-old spouse, Maria Da Silva, are still battling for their lives at the Burn Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
They are each in a critical but stable condition.
On Thursday last, the couple were asleep in their mining camp at Toroparo Landing, Region Seven, when the suspect committed the act.
Reports are that Joseph and Da Silva had attended a birthday celebration in the area on Wednesday evening and while they were there, the couple received information that the suspect was in their mining camp.
The businessman and his wife left the party in haste and upon arriving at the mining camp, they saw the suspect. Joseph reportedly picked up a cutlass and dealt the man several lashes to his body.
The suspect left the camp but according to reports, returned at approximately 04:00h on Thursday and proceeded to dowse gasoline on the couple and set them alight. He quickly escaped the scene, leaving the camp to burn, with Joseph and Da Silva trapped inside.
However, public-spirited persons managed to rescue the businessman and his wife and rushed them to the Bartica Regional Hospital where they were treated and medevaced to the GPHC.
Both Joseph and his wife would have sustained about 80 per cent burns about their body. The businessman is formerly of Jango Town, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.