-bucket brigade paddled across river
A Linden family of seven was left homeless when their double-flat three-bedroom house was completely destroyed by fire early yesterday afternoon.
The house and appliances estimated to be worth in excess of $10m were completely destroyed shortly after noon yesterday in the riverain community of Speightland Mackenzie, Linden while most of the family members were at work and school.
Stabroek News was informed by Krepaul Narine, 60 years, father of Mahendra Narine, owner of the house, that the fire was suspected to have been electrical. The man who lives one lot away said that he was alerted to the fire by shouts from a neighbouring community across the river. “When anybody over deh talk me could here ah dis end. So me hear them shouting look somebody house buning down over deh.” The man said he immediately abandoned reading papers and went downstairs to see what was happening.
Upon investigation he said he saw his son’s house on fire and ran over but was unable to get close since the heat was intense and the house was completely engulfed. “Me try fuh go up de step but de heat was too much meh had to back off.” added the man.
According to information, at the time of the fire Purandai Persaud aka Muntaz was at the river doing her laundry a short distance away from the house while her niece believed to be not older than 13 years and a baby were both left sleeping in the house. Muntaz had stood up when she noticed heavy smoke coming from the bedroom. By the time she rushed to the house the two children had already evacuated.
The fire quickly engulfed the house despite valiant efforts by neighbours who had paddled across the river to form a bucket brigade. “Everything bun up and they had a lot ah expensive things in deh everything you could think of they had.” one neighbour said.
Stabroek News caught up with Mahendra Narine just after dark. He said that he got the news hours earlier. “I work so far up de river is only now I reach down. Millions I lose here millions man”, he said adding that he blames the electricity company for his losses. According to the distraught man the electrical pole in his yard had rotted from the bottom and he was forced to tie the cables to a tree supported by another pole in order to continue receiving power to his house. “I tell them at the electricity place about dis pole so many times and the last time I talk to them deh tell me when deh pole fall down deh gon come and fix it.”
On the other hand Stabroek News was told by a reliable source that first-hand investigations suggested that the fire was not electrical.
The family has since taken up residence at another house farther up the river.