A Corentyne woman died yesterday afternoon in a fire that she started to torch the house she shared with her husband and two children.
Dead is Sabita Sooknanan, also known as ‘Tina,’ 36, of Lot 158 Number 64 Village, Coren-tyne.
Neighbours told Stab-roek News that the woman, in a drunken state, started the fire in the upper flat of her home around 4 pm. Her burnt remains were discovered in the veranda located on the upper flat.
Up to last evening, firefighters were still working at the scene to ensure the fire remained contained.
According to a neighbour, who did not want to be named, she was seated on her bridge when Sooknanan shouted and told her to phone her [Sooknanan’s] husband and inform him that she had started a fire in the house.
The neighbour noted that she immediately called on Sooknanan’s 11-year-old daughter, who saw smoke and “then she run down the street and call the man ’cause he working on one house right there.”
Jairam Sooknanan, 42, who is a carpenter and hire car driver, was still in shock last evening at the events that unfolded. He explained that he was working in the village when he received a message that his house was on fire.
He stated that when he arrived home, the entire upper flat of the house was already engulfed by flames and residents had formed a bucket brigade in a bid to put them out.
He said he drove his Fielder Wagon, which was parked underneath the house, onto the street and then joined the bucket brigade.
Sooknanan noted that his wife had previously attempted to set their house on fire twice in 2016 but neighbours had put the fires out.
Questioned whether he and his wife had any argument before he left home on Monday, an emotional Sooknanan said, “I never expected this. Me na know what to tell you. She mussy feel this is the best thing she do.’
According to residents, the woman would often drink and act out. They said they noticed her purchasing alcohol and drinking it yesterday, which they said was a habit of hers.
The Sooknanans shared four children, two of whom were residing with them in the now burnt house.
“We get two bedroom, kitchen, living room, toilet and everything upstairs and me is a carpenter and me does drive hire car on the road and me deh half way a build the downstairs kitchen,” Jairam Sooknanan noted.
Meanwhile, a next door neighbour’s house was also scorched as a result of the fire.
