Police at Bartica have detained a man who set his younger brother alight yesterday in an attack which also resulted in injuries to his father, and almost destroyed the family home.
Orin Cornelius, a miner of Karrau, Region Seven was severely burnt about his body while his father, Eugene Cornelius was nursing less severe injuries. The two were referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital after being rushed to Bartica Hospital.
Reports are that Orin and his older brother were drinking when a row erupted and they ended up in the kitchen. Orin is said to have pushed his brother resulting in him falling into the stove and in retaliation, he picked up the lighted stove and hurled it at him.
Samantha Cornelius, a niece, told Stabroek News last night that the incident occurred around 3 pm and after hours of travelling the two arrived at the public hospital in the city just after 8 pm. She said that Orin appeared to have sustained burns about 70% — his face, head, chest, back and feet.
She said Orin cried all the way to the city, repeatedly complaining of the pain he was in. He received immediate attention when they arrived at the hospital.
“Alcohol is the devil!” a relative declared at the hospital stating that it caused the problem between the two brothers and led to a series of unfortunate events. Samantha recounted that when Orin was set alight, flames erupted in the home where his father was seated resulting in his injuries.
She said two younger relatives who were present at the home managed to douse the flames on Orin and his father. The young men also started a bucket brigade and they saved the home from going up in flames.
The brothers would have disagreements but nothing major, a relative said, and blamed the alcohol for what happened. The police were called in and took the older brother into custody.
