A fire of unknown origin gutted a two-storey home located at 3rd Avenue, Bartica yesterday at around 1 pm leaving an elderly man dead and his daughter nursing burn injuries to her face and hand at the Bartica Regional Hospital.
The dead man has been identified as Albert James Hopkinson also called ‘Major’, a 94-year-old. His son, Anthony Hopkinson, of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, told Stabroek News last evening that he cannot say exactly what happened. His father died after being air-dashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). Meanwhile his sister, Dawn Hopkinson, a 54-year-old seamstress who lived with her father at 3rd Avenue is currently a patient at the Bartica Regional Hospital for injuries sustained while trying to save her father from the blazing fire.
According to a source, around 1 pm yesterday, Albert was in his room when a fire erupted. His daughter who cares for her father daily was downstairs when she was alerted to the fire. She quickly rushed upstairs to save her father from the flames. Neighbours rushed to their aid but unfortunately, Albert was badly burnt while Dawn sustained burns to her face and hand in the process.
They both were taken to the Bartica Regional Hospital, and Albert was air-dashed to the GPH where he succumbed.
According to Fire Chief Gregory Wickham, the upper flat of the two-storey wooden and concrete building was completely destroyed by the fire and the two occupants sustained burns to their body. Regarding the cause of the fire, he disclosed that the Fire Service investigators are combing the burnt-out structure for clues to its origin.
