Three children died in an early morning fire yesterday which was said to be electrical in nature.
The fire occurred at around 1:25 am in the Barnwell village, aback of Mocha on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).
The deceased children were identified as 8-year-old Timothy Kippins, 6-year-old Triston Kippins and Zhalia Flue, age one.
According to a release from the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), a call was received at 01:25hrs alerting them of a fire at Lot 10 Field, Barnwell, Mocha, EBD.
Immediately, water tenders Number 95 from the Diamond Fire Station and Number 107 from the West Ruimveldt Fire Station were dispatched to the location.
The fire tenders arrived in the area at 01:42 hrs but were unable to access the burning house due to the deplorable state of the dam.
Acting Fire Chief, Gregory Wickham, yesterday told Stabroek News that due to the poor state of the road, the fire trucks were forced to stop some distance away from the scene and that resulted in fire fighters not being able to effectively respond.
However, when they did, the wooden building had already been engulfed in flames. It was only after the fire was put out, that investigators were able to comb the scene and the charred remains of the children were found.
The structure was a one-story wooden building which was owned and occupied by Tracy Flu and her three children.
As a result of the fire, the building and all its contents were burnt, taking the lives of the three children.
Flue has another son who was not living with her.
The GFS reported that investigations revealed that the fire was electrical in nature.
The mother of the children related that she was at work at the time of the fire.
“I really don’t know what happen last night. I left to go to work, I get a phone call saying that me house on fire when I deh at work I really don’t know wuh happen last night at me house.”
Flue claimed that the fire may have been maliciously set by her ex-boyfriend. According to the woman, the man was very abusive and had threatened to kill her on many occasions.
“I was in a relationship with a abusive boyfriend, I go to the station countless time to make report, this month-end suppose to be we court day and he tell me that how anytime I go to court it go be the last day I ever see a police and how he gon kill me.”
Based on that information, a wanted bulletin was immediately issued for the man but hours after, the bulletin was retracted since the cause of the fire was determined to be electrical in nature.
However, according to the GPF Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mark Ramotar, the man was placed into custody at the Alberttown Police Station in relation to another matter.
Commiseration, along with prayers for the family of the three children, took place yesterday at the Police Sports Club in Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown, with President Irfaan Ali, other government officials, along with acting Top Cop, Clifton Hicken and Commander of Regional Division 4 ‘B’, Denise Griffith, in attendance.
On the Office of the President’s Facebook page, Ali remarked, “none of us can understand what that mother is going through, or that family is going through… this is the worst test a mother can ever endure… the most we can do is uplift them in prayers, uplift them in faith and to pray that they are given the patience needed.”
The president said that the country mourns with the family, especially the grieving mother and that the loss of the young lives is also a loss for the country.
