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Two children perish in La Grange fire

Apr 12, 2012 News

-three escape by jumping through broken window

By Leonard Gildarie

A West Bank Demerara community was last night plunged into grief after two children were burnt to death during a raging fire at a La Parfaite Harmonie home.
Three children managed to escape the quickly spreading flames by breaking windows and jumping to safety on nearby steps.
Dead are Andrea James, 10, and her cousin Alonzo Douglas, six of Lot 689 Middle Dam, La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.
Alive are Delon Douglas, 8; Brian Douglas, 10, and Andre, 6.
According to reports, the five children were home alone when the fire started in the upper flat of the three-bedroom structure.
According to Delon, he was in the bathroom when he saw fire on an electrical wire. He quickly alerted his cousins. The flames were quickly spreading. There was no chance to open the doors to the side stairs leading to the outside.
“I break the windows and tell them to jump through,” said a shaken Delon. However, only the three boys managed to jump.
Andrea panicked after the flames kept her away from the broken window and she retreated to the rooms. Six-year-old Alonzo, who was set to celebrate his birthday next month, was trapped in the blaze.
The three boys barely managed to escape the spreading flames before the fire took full control.
Two of the boys, including Delon, suffered burns.
Neighbours could only watch in horror as the building burned.
Kaieteur News was told that the fire started shortly after 21:00hrs. The owner of the building, Roxanne Douglas, who lived there with her reputed husband, David, were both not at home.
According to Joel, a teen who shares the home and who was with his aunt Roxanne in the city at the time of the fire, said that they received a call. The two had gone to do some shopping.
“We got a call and we could not ride back on the motorbike. We come back in a car.”
One neighbour who refused to be identified, said that she saw wires leading to the home sparking and had called the Guyana Fire Service several times.
“They said they coming. Now they come after the fire done and two children dead,” the upset woman said.
Millions were said to have been lost in the home which was not more than five years old.
Roxanne Douglas was said to be taking care of the children for her brothers and sisters, one of whom lives in Berbice.
Douglas is also the Chairperson of the La Parfaite Harmonie Primary School Parent Teacher Association and was said to be an extremely active and popular person in that West Bank Demerara area.
“I don’t know how she will take this. She love those children. It is hard…it is not like an old person dead…it is two little children…that hurts,” another neighbour said.
One next door neighbour said that she was awakened by her husband who was alerted to smoke and heat. She was too shaken to talk.
One fire tender was on the scene but there was not much that could be done. (See more details in tomorrow’s edition)

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