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Fire strikes at Linden, origin uncertain
Pandemonium yesterday broke out after a raging inferno destroyed a
The ruins
concrete and wooden two-storied house, at Wismar Hill foot (Buck Hill foot), Linden, leaving in its wake millions of dollars in losses and an extended family homeless.
The house was owned by 75-year-old John Moriah and his wife 54-year-old Savitree Naranjan. The couple lived at the house with Savitree’s daughter Anjamie, and her two children, five-year-old Shevannie and three-year-old Sabrina.
Anjamie reportedly occupied the bottom flat of the building, with her husband and two children.
The family cried as they watched their home burn, leaving them with just the clothes on their backs, and two motorcycles, which residents had removed from the building.
After the fire broke out many persons were fearful that children were trapped in the building, and many of them vented their feelings angrily, lashing out at the fire service which they felt had not responded promptly enough.
Moriah’s granddaughter Shonnette, who thought that her grandfather was trapped in the building kept crying out hysterically, “I want see me grandfather, I want see me grandfather.” Her hysterical wailings did not subside, until Moriah appeared in the flesh, clad only in his shirt and boxer shorts.
The man’s wife, Savitree, cried unceasingly, despite the efforts of her daughters and other relatives, to console her. Her grandson stood in front of her and wiped away her tears.
But Savitree, who told this newspaper that their losses ran into the millions, was inconsolable. She eventually lost consciousness, and had to be lifted and rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex. Her relatives expressed concern for the woman’s wellbeing, as they said that she was both hypertensive and diabetic.
According to Savitree, who was quite lucid before she lost consciousness, she was watching an African movie with her grandchildren, when she observed smoke coming from her bedroom.
The distraught family, Moriah is at left Savitree Naranjan is being consoled by a grandson
The woman said that soon after, she noticed fire, but by the time she reached her bedroom, the heat and smoke were intense, so she had to retreat hastily and run outside. Savitree said she was baffled as to what could have caused the fire, as she did not even use mosquito coils in her room.
‘All me jewels gone, all me money- me bank book, everything. Now me na even gat clothes.”
The woman said that she also lost a brand new freezer, which she had recently purchased from Courts.
Savitree’s daughter, Anjamie, who was at work when fire struck the family’s house, quickly rushed home. The atmosphere was emotionally charged as mother and daughter held each other and cried. Anjamie lamented that she had lost everything, even her land lease for a piece of land she had recently acquired.
Her mother’s husband, John, said that he and his wife had lived at the house which they had built for about six years.
His daughter Carla said that she was at work at LUSCSL, when she received the call about the fire. “At first somebody called and said a house is on fire on Buck Hill, that we should send the linesmen. Then a little later another person called and told me that it was my father house on fire.”
The woman said that she immediately caught a taxi and raced to the location, but the building was already engulfed.
Neighbours who rushed out to give their support lamented that the house was full of all amenities, and which were all lost in the fire.
One of them, Avis Sampson, said that she was alerted that something was amiss, after she heard an explosion.
“Right away I looked out, and I see the whole upstairs on fire. That fire move like lightning, through that house, “Sampson noted with tears welling in her eyes. (Enid Joaquin)
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