The children, Denille Tappin, 8, Donille Scotland, 6, and Dexter Scotland, 4, were left locked in their 47 Wismar Housing Scheme home by their parents who were out intending to return within a short time. According to reports the next door neighbour saw heavy smoke coming from the ceiling of the house and after hearing the children screaming for help she went to their rescue. According to an eyewitness a man broke open the door and took the children to safety. They all escaped unhurt.
The mother Nadira Sahadeo, 28, said that she left the children at home shortly after 9am to attend to some business in Mackenzie when she received a call saying that the house was on fire. “Is not long I left; one of deh girls was not well and I left her in the bedroom on the bed with her book read and the other two were in the living room watching cartoons.”
She recounted that there had been unusual fluctuations in the current in the bedroom approximately two nights ago. “Meh and meh husband were in bed ’bout two nights back and the bedroom light just came off by itself, and when Spider get up to check it, it came on back by itself.. Meh big girl said that she jus hear a big boom in the bedroom and see fire in the middle of the room.” The woman was grateful to the neighbour whose quick response saved her children.
The family only managed to save items which were in the kitchen since that part of the house was made of concrete. Nothing was saved from the other section which was constructed of wood.
Residents in the area said that the fire was put out by neighbours who turned away fire-fighters who arrived after it was already extinguished. “We called soon as we see deh fire and I want to believe that they [the firemen] were delayed by the bridge which was closed,” said one resident. She said that a temporary station should be set up at Wismar to cater for emergencies until the repairs to the bridge were completed.
Residents are also calling on the Linden Utility Services Coop Society Limited (LUSCSL) to undertake an investigation into the electrical distribution network at Wismar since there have been four fires at Wismar, three of which were suspected to have had electrical origins.
