A Rose Hall Town, Corentyne family of five is now contemplating their next move after a fire suspected to be of electrical origin destroyed their two-bedroom house on Monday evening.
Mathura Sookraj, a cane harvester, and his wife, Bhashkimuri Balkissoon resided at Lot 72 Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, with their three children where the fire started just around 9.30 pm on Monday.
According to Balkissoon, her husband was sleeping upstairs while she was sitting downstairs in her hammock when one of her daughters arrived home from work. They were chatting when her daughter noticed that something was burning.
Balkissoon explained that her daughter said that it seemed “something a burn and when we run go we see the fire on the front wall.”
She said they called on her husband who rushed out and then they all started to fill buckets of water and rushed upstairs in an effort to extinguish the fire “but abbay been can’t make it because the smoke too much abbay been can’t take it and them people start holler let abbay come out the house.
“Everything been done get fire already so quick, abbay call the fire truck and two hour them na come, them na come, the house done burn and the frame left then them come… Everything burn out, everything burn out, everything, nothing na save, nothing, all me money everything, abbay na get nothing.”
According to Balkissoon, the entire upper flat of the two-storey wood and concrete house, which she rents monthly for $15,000, was fully furnished. The woman noted that she also had over $300,000 in savings in the house which was also destroyed.
Furthermore, Balkissoon said that when the fire tenders attached to the Rose Hall Town Fire Station eventually responded “them na get water and so long them take, two hour them take after them come.”
Balkissoon and her husband along with their three children are currently seeking shelter at a neighbour’s bottom house. She said, “Abbay na get no way to go, abbay na get nothing, abbay na get no way to move and go”, as she broke into tears.
Pleading for help the woman said, “Me thankful if anyone can assist me, me need help right now, me need help.”
The family suspects that the fire started on the front wall of the house where it was reported that a wire sparked after which flames emerged.
Stressing that they had no prior electrical issues, the woman said that they were still trying to come to terms with the tragedy.
The family is seeking help from the general public and can be contacted at mobile number 650-8356.
