At least five persons are homeless after a fire destroyed a New Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home on Saturday. Based on reports received, the fire reportedly started at about 14:00h.
Guyana Times understands that the house was owned and occupied by Florence Ramsaroop along with other family members. The Guyana Fire Service up to late Saturday evening did not release any information as to the origin and cause of the fire.
Since the year started, several houses were gutted by fire and in some cases, lives were lost. Only on Friday morning, 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 Guyana Fire Service has said it received a distress call just after 03:31h on Friday, and firefighters from the La Grange Fire Station, along with a water tender and a water carrier, were dispatched to the scene.
The property at Providence EBD on fire
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.
As a result of the fire, the first floor of the building was destroyed; and 47-year-old José, a carpenter, perished therein. He was reportedly contracted by the owner to execute repairs to the building and had stayed overnight to have some work done.
A few days prior, 43-year-old Tookant Deokharan, a teacher attached to the Berbice Islamic School, perished after a fire destroyed two houses at Managers’ Quarters, Port Mourant, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Deokarran’s charred remains were discovered at about midnight, close to a door amid debris at the Lot 24 Managers’ Compound, Port Mourant house. He had reportedly lived alone in the one-storey building which was owned by an overseas-based Guyanese.
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 lunch and had taken a nap before leaving to go and provide home tutoring to two 13-year-olds at Fyrish Village.
He was last seen alive at about 17:00h on Tuesday. That fire reportedly started at about 22:00h.
