A Skeldon sugar estate worker perished when a fire completely destroyed his home at Crabwood Creek (CWC), Corentyne early yesterday morning.
Dead is Martin D’Aguiar, 35, of Lot 89 Grant 1780 CWC and formerly of Islington, East Bank Berbice. Police said
that the fire started at about 1:40am yesterday and D’Aguiar’s body was subsequently found amid the debris of the one-bedroom wooden building.
Stabroek News was told that firefighters made the discovery sometime between 2:30 and 3 am after the flames were put out. At the scene later yesterday, it was observed that no materials from the home expect a few zinc sheets were saved from the building.
According to a neighbour, Vijai Ramnarine, who lives in the front section of the yard, “nobody knows when the fire started. We were asleep.” However, Stabroek News learnt that the fire may have started from a kerosene lamp since the house does not have electricity.
Ramnarine said that at around 1:30am, he was awakened by one of his neighbours and informed of the fire. He recounted that when he came out of his two-flat home and looked at the back of the yard where D’Aguiar lived, he saw nothing but raging flames. Residents said that they promptly summoned the fire service and the police who responded within a reasonable timeframe. Ramnarine noted that the fire service did not have any difficulties in accessing water or setting up their apparatus.
Neighbours said that they were unaware of D’Aguiar’s presence in the home and recalled that they saw him when he left the yard on Saturday night but did not see when he returned.
They said that they only learnt of his death when the police and firefighters confirmed that they found a body in the debris of the home. They described D’Aguiar as a caring, willing and friendly person. “No matter how exhausted he is and you ask him to run to the shop he would do it,” one said.
Meanwhile, D’Aguiar’s sister Joyce told Stabroek News via telephone that the family received the message sometime around 6:30am yesterday.
“An aunt from Skeldon called me and told me,” she said. Joyce further recounted that when she got the message, she headed to CWC but when she got to the scene, her brother’s remains had already been removed. She then went to the Skeldon mortuary where the body was and viewed it.
Joyce also said that her brother is a heavy drinker and posited that he probably left the lamp lit while he was intoxicated.
D’Aguiar was the lone occupant of the home. He leaves to mourn his 11 siblings and parents. An autopsy is scheduled for later this week.
