Sophia mother of four dies days after gas tank explosion

– as nephew recovers, family plans to take legal action

A Sophia family has been plunged into mourning after 36-year-old Harriet George of 122 C Field South Sophia, Greater Georgetown, succumbed to severe burn injuries sustained in a gas tank explosion earlier this month. George, a mother of four, passed away at 12:15h on Saturday, September 13, at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where she had been warded in critical condition since the incident. Her 13-year-old nephew, Jadon Jarad, who was also injured in the blast, sustained second-degree burns but was discharged on Thursday. Doctors have advised that he will need time to recover fully. On the morning of September 4, George and her nephew were preparing to open the family’s shop when they detected the smell of gas. Moments later, the regulator on a Massy Gas bottle reportedly popped off, triggering an explosion that blew the roof off the business.

Although no flames were present, the pair was left screaming in pain as their clothes ignited and melted onto their skin. According to family members, after the explosion, the duo plunged into a barrel of water to soothe the burns on their skin. Both were rushed to GPHC, where doctors immediately classified their cases as critical. In an interview with Guyana Times on Sunday, George’s sister, Annette George, described the ordeal as one that brought not only physical suffering for the victims but also emotional turmoil for the wider family. “All the time I’m crying for my sister because it’s like I can’t believe she is in a fridge. I can’t come to grips that she is really dead. You always hear people talk about how it hurts to lose a loved one, but it is different when you lose a loved one. That is when you know how painful it is”, Annette said. She claimed that while their grief has been compounded by what she described as a lack of transparency and compassion from hospital staff. “I truly feel the hospital didn’t do much to save her life…”Annette said tearfully. The grieving family also levelled harsh criticism at staff in the Burn Care Unit, describing them as “rude,” “hoggish,” and “piggish” not only toward relatives but also to schoolmates and teachers who came to visit Jadon.
According to Annette, Harriet begging to be taken out of there.
Doctors later told the family that Harriet’s organs would eventually shut down and that no intervention could save her, a disclosure Annette believes came far too late.
“Why didn’t they tell us from the beginning? Why wait until the end to say nothing could be done? In other countries, burn victims survive. Why at this stage in Guyana, people are dying… in other countries they can save people,” the grieving woman questioned? Annette said her sister had been a hard-working single parent who never asked for help, slowly extending her home so her children could be comfortable. With the children’s fathers absent from their lives and the extended family already stretched caring for other orphaned relatives, her death leaves them in a desperate situation. As it relates to her nephew Jadon, Annette said that he is in excruciating pain and they are planning to take him back to the hospital.
“While at the hospital, he said they were yelling at him to move his foot. But just a few days before he was burnt, he had a surgery on his foot, and we told them that. He is in so much pain, they told us to bring him in Thursday, but I will take him tomorrow (Monday) because he is in too much pain”, she said.
Following the incident, Massy Gas Products Guyana Ltd expressed sympathy to the injured family and said it is investigating the Sophia explosion while cooperating with fire officials. In a subsequent statement, they blamed a faulty regulator. However, Annette accused the company of dishonesty, claiming that when the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) inspected the cylinder, gas was still escaping.
“Massy came, checked, and wanted us to sign papers, but we refused. My brother told them he cannot read or write. I don’t know why they are lying. GEA came after, tested, and proved that gas was leaking from the bottle. So Massy wasn’t telling the truth,” she alleged. Annette argued that incidents like these seem to occur specifically with Massy cylinders and accused the company of failing to provide support to victims’ families. Her family is now consulting lawyers and considering legal action against Massy, arguing that her death was preventable. “They didn’t even bring a care package for the children, nothing. Families are left to grieve and bury their loved ones with no help. I am hoping to get on to other victims and see if we can come together and do something about this. We [their family] are currently trying to talk to a lawyer to send them [Massy] a letter.”
George had cooked with gas bottles since she was 18 years old, according to her family, as part of her small business without incident.
“This was untimely and uncalled for,” Annette said firmly. “She was working to raise her children, not asking anyone for anything. Now four children are motherless, and the company responsible is silent. We need justice for my sister. My sister could have been alive today.”