A pensioner was burnt to death yesterday afternoon after a fire of unknown origin gutted the Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD) apartment which he rented.
The dead man has been identified as Lyndon Kyte, 68.
Reports are that the fire started around 4.20 pm at Lot 570 Tenth Field, Cummings Lodge, ECD.
Kyte’s burnt remains were discovered in the kitchen area of the house. He lived alone. The house is owned by Coral Bell, 63.
An investigation has since been launched to determine the cause of the fire. According to Bell, she was entering her house when she noticed smoke. She said she immediately looked in the direction of Kyte’s apartment when she saw the fire.
“I was in front sitting and I hear ‘boom’ like somebody fall down or something. I don’t know. If he go to the stove, I don’t know,” Bell noted.
Bell said she rushed to assist Kyte but noticed his door was locked. She said she then called out for him but got no response.An alarm was raised and neighbours formed a bucket of brigade in a bid to extinguish the fire but they were unsuccessful.
Bell related that they experienced difficulties since the water pressure at the time was very low.
“I go to the bathroom all where the pipe low, no water. I don’t know wah happen today. The poor man at the back deh burn up,” Bell said.
The Guyana Fire Service was summoned and they managed to put out the fire, preventing it from spreading to nearby buildings which are situated close to each other.
Bell told Stabroek News that Kyte had been a tenant for about four years. She said he was ill and only yesterday morning one of his friends, who would check on him often, visited to take him to the hospital but he refused.
Kyte has one son who Bell said works in the interior.
