Christmas ended tragically for the family of Tarra Seeram, 63, after the ailing woman died in a fire that destroyed her two-bedroom home in Carapichaima.
Preliminary investigation by fire prevention officers indicates that an electrical issue may have caused the fire.
Yesterday, as relatives gathered under s shed near Seeram’s home on Jagbir Street Extension in Korea Village, they expressed shock and deep grief over the Christmas Day tragedy. They said they did not know she was at home and didn’t expect to find her remains in the ashes.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started shortly after 4 am. Fire officers from Chaguanas were quickly on the scene and were able to contain and extinguish the fire.
One of Seeram’s relatives who took a torchlight and went into the house to search through the ruins after the fire was put out made the horrific discovery of her remains in the floor of her bedroom next to her bed.
Seeram’s son, Bijue Seeram, 36, who escaped from the burning house, said he was asleep and was awakened by smoke.
“I felt like I couldn’t breathe and the smoke so strong that when I wake up it was real thick smoke. I watch in the room for mummy but didn’t see her, so I run out through the back of the house through a door.
“I really didn’t think that my mother was home otherwise I would have maybe looked more or something,” he said.
One of Seeram’s daughter, Latchmin, 38, said she and her mother went to the T&TEC office in Chaguanas in November and reported that the connection from the light pole to the house broke off and was leaning into the house with wires exposed.
“We told them how it was and how the wires buss up and they said they were coming to see it and fix it but up to now they never reach and my mother come and burn up to ashes all she hands, foot everything burn to ashes,” Latchmin said.
“So far we are being told that it could really be electrical but we will have to wait for more to see what is the final with the investigations but if T&TEC people did come and see about it like they said they would have my mother would have maybe been alive today.”
Latchmin said her mother has been depressed since her husband, Sinanan Seeram , died away four years ago after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
She said her mother, who suffers from polio, spent most days at her house and was there up to Christmas Day.
“After she left by me in the night at about 9 pm she was seen going to another house by one of her friends lower down the street that’s why we thought that she was not home at the time of the fire,” she said.
Investigations are continuing.
