Ministerial advisor among six homeless in Vryheid’s Lust fire

Nov 21, 2013 News

Six persons, including Yvonne Pearson, the advisor to Minister Amerindian Affairs, are now homeless in the wake of a fire at lot 35 Vryheid’s Lust Public Road, East Coast Demerara, yesterday.
Kaieteur News was told that the fire started some time after 13:00hrs yesterday. The upper flat of the building was completely destroyed while the lower flat suffered tremendous water damage.

What remains after yesterday’s fire.

According to Pearson, no one was home at the time of the fire. She said that her son was a short distance away from the house when a group of construction workers told him that the house was on fire. Pearson said that by the time her son arrived the fire had completely engulfed the upper flat and he could not save anything.
Pearson was at work. She said that she received a phone call from her son telling her to come home immediately. According to the woman the family could not estimate the loss. She told Kaieteur News that everything that the family has worked hard for was destroyed.
The occupant of the lower flat, Glen Baptiste, said that he was not at home when the fire started. He was tending to a roadside stall he operates a short distance from the house.
He said that neigbhours shouted to him that his house was on fire and he immediately rushed home. The man said that he attempted to save some items but only managed to save his chair set and a few pieces of clothing.
The house was being rented to the two families by the Board of Directors of the Ephraim Scott Memorial Presbyterian Church which is also located in the compound. Pearson is the former Head of the National Toshaos’ Council.