The fire at Number 64 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, which claimed the lives of a mother and her four children on November 12, was maliciously set, Fire Chief Gregory Wickham has said.
Wickham told Stabroek News yesterday that an investigation by the fire prevention department revealed that the fire was maliciously set.
In an interview with this newspaper, the family recalled that the fire originated near a car, followed by a sudden explosion that rapidly spread to the house and neighbouring lots.
Those who perished were Hemwatie Singh, 34; Kelvin Ramjatan called ‘Rovin’, 14; Brandon Ramjatan called ‘Ravin’, a 10-year-old with special needs; Tomesh Ramjatan called ‘Arvin’, two years old; and his sister Cindy Ramjatan called ‘Emily’, 11, a pupil of New Market Primary School.
The police said in a statement that they were all awake and attempting to escape the fire. They tried to run out of the house but as they saw the large flames in front of the house, they turned back and went upstairs and were trapped.
Hemwatie’s mother, Aunty Gallo in an interview with Stabroek News, recounted that family members described a futile attempt to rescue Hemwatie and her children as they were trapped inside the engulfed structure. Despite efforts by neighbours and the eldest son, the intensity of the flames rendered their rescue efforts in vain.
Hematie’s husband, Rohan Ramjatan called ‘Map Head, 36, had been in the custody of police at the time of the fire in connection with a cattle rustling probe.
A police team had visited the fire scene at about 3:30 am and found Kevin Ramjatan called ‘Alex’, 17, who stated that at about 2 am on November 12, he was on the verandah, which is situated east of the upper flat of the building, sleeping, when he was awakened by flames from the lower flat of the house where his father’s car was parked.
He told the police that he immediately ran down the stairs to the lower flat where his mother and siblings were, using the inner staircase and opened the lower flat door. They had tried to run out of the house but retreated from the flames in front of the house. However, he escaped uninjured.
He had told the police that he closed their steel gate about 18:30 hrs the day before, and went upstairs, but when he escaped from the fire, the gate was open.
Kevin further told this newspaper that he went to his grandmother’s house in the village and accompanied relatives back to the scene. By then, the entire structure was engulfed in flames.
After the fire was put out, five burnt bodies were later found, suspected to be those of Hemwatie Singh, Kelvin Ramjatan, Brandon Ramjatan, Tomesh Ramjatan and Cindy Ramjatan.
