Port Mourant fire: Teacher died from smoke inhalation – autopsy

The Corentyne teacher who was killed when a fire destroyed two houses at Port Mourant, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Tuesday night died of smoke inhalation.
This was the finding of an autopsy conducted on the body of Tookant Deokarran on Thursday by Government Pathologist, Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan.
The charred remains of the 43-year-old Deokarran, a teacher, employed by the Berbice Islamic School, were discovered about midnight close to a door amid debris at the Lot 24 Manager Compound, Port Mourant address.
He had lived alone in the one-storey building which was owned by an overseas-based Guyanese.
Tuesday night’s fire also destroyed a two-storey building owned and occupied by 75-year-old Amina Bacchus, leaving the pensioner homeless. Residents said flames were initially seen coming from Deokarran’s home about 22:00h.
In a release, the Guyana Fire Service said it was alerted to the fire at 22:17h, and two water tenders and seven firefighters were deployed. It took about two hours to bring the blaze under control.
Deokarran, who had difficulty walking because of an injury to his right knee, had spent the day at a cousin’s home, where he had had lunch and had taken a nap before leaving to go and provide home tutoring to two 13-year-olds at Fyrish Village. He had last been seen returning home shortly after 17:00h. (G4)