A 62-year-old grandmother was rescued from her burning three-bedroom home around 2:10 pm yesterday as she was sleeping.
She had to be treated at the New Amsterdam Hospital for burns to her hands and feet.
When Stabroek News arrived at the scene within half an hour of the blaze, the woman, Tulsidai “Betty” Pooran was sitting in a neighbour’s yard, lamenting her plight.
Neighbours had applied an ointment to her burns and shortly after they accompanied police ranks to take her to the hospital.
Pooran who is in ill-health said she did not know of the fire until her son, Hemchand lifted her out to safety.
According to Hemchand, he was resting in the middle room when he smelt the smoke and he instinctively ran to rescue his ailing mother. He said his youngest brother, Davo was in the yard trying desperately to put out the fire with buckets of water.
“He tell me to get the bucket and come and help he to save the house but ah had to save me mother first,” he told this newspaper.
He said he had to break a zinc fence that separates his neighbour’s yard to put his mother down safely. He immediately rushed back to assist Davo but by that time the entire building was engulfed and they both watched helplessly.
The family told Stabroek News that they are unable to estimate their loss and said they were unable to save anything from the furnished house. They are now worried about where they would stay in the meanwhile. (Shabna Ullah)
