The post-mortem examination performed yesterday on the remains of Hardai ‘Kuntie’ Singh, who died in a house fire at Soesdyke, found that she was burned to death, but her family was disappointed that they did not get a more detailed report.
Singh, 70, a newspaper vendor of Soesdyke Centre Road, East Bank Demerara, perished in the fire which destroyed her home on Wednesday evening. The woman was reportedly asleep in her home when a gas cylinder exploded and ignited a fire around 7.30pm.
Stabroek News again made efforts to contact the Fire Chief Marlon Gentle, for an update into the investigation of the matter but those attempts proved futile.
Stabroek News yesterday contacted one of the woman’s three children, Leena (only name given), who said she was in agreement with her niece, who had previously told this newspaper that she suspected there was foul play in her grandmother’s demise.
“I would second that,” Leena said. “Something is really bothering me. She had a wooden house. She had no grills, just a few wooden bars. It’s quite strange. If you take a sledge hammer, you can break the walls and save her,” she added between sobs.
She explained that her mother never cooked and only had an old gas cylinder that was never used, and so she found it baffling that reports surfaced that her gas cylinder exploded. “When I heard my mother was in that fire… Oh my God, I couldn’t believe it. I cook everyday for my mother. I hired a maid just to cook food for her. It puzzles me when they say she was cooking and all these things,” she said.
Meanwhile, the woman’s son, Dara (only name given) visited the Georgetown Public Hospital where the post-mortem was conducted. His wife, who asked not to be named, said her husband was only told that the cause of death was given as being burnt.
Stabroek News was told on Wednesday evening that neighbours, after noticing the flames as they engulfed the home, tried in vain to break down the doors to rescue Singh. Screams were heard coming from the one-bedroom, wooden house, but they died away shortly after.
