Two families were left counting their losses yesterday morning after a fire of unknown origin completely destroyed a Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo house they had been renting for several years.
According to reports reaching Stabroek News, the fire which started around 9.30 am yesterday quickly razed the two-storey, wooden and concrete house which was occupied by a total of nine persons including several children.
The upper flat was occupied by a single parent mother and her five children, while a couple whose names were given as Kim Rodrigues and Tharam Rambharose lived in the lower flat with their six-year-old son.
A source from the Guyana Fire Service said an investigation has since been launched to determine the cause of the fire.
Up to yesterday afternoon, the families, according to the source, were not cooperating with investigators.
The owner of the house, Claudette Singh, resides in another building which is located a street away from where the fire occurred. She told this newspaper that she was at home when an individual who is known to her informed her of the fire while passing through the street.
Singh said she rushed to the scene where she was greeted by a large crowd. At that time, she said, the Fire Service had already arrived and the house was almost completely destroyed.
Reports revealed that it was a child who resided in the upper flat who first noticed the fire and raised an alarm. The fire reportedly started in the last room of the upper flat.
As the news spread, neighbours formed a bucket brigade as they awaited the Guyana Fire Service. Residents of the area lauded the Fire Service for its quick response and assistance.
A resident, who did not wish to be named, related that she was cooking when she heard loud screams of “fire” coming from her neighbours’ house. The woman said when she rushed out of the house she saw thick black smoke emanating from the building.
Meanwhile, Rodrigues said she was washing when her fellow tenant told her the house was on fire. She said residents assisted her in saving some valuables from her apartment.
About an hour after the fire was extinguished, the occupants said, a live wire started to spark and subsequently caught on fire. The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) was called in and they had to cut power supply to the area to avoid what could have been another major disaster.
