Deaths by fire increases

Aug 21, 2023 News

---

…29 children, 9 adults killed

Kaieteur News – Within a week, four children and two adults died as a result of a fire – bringing the death toll of fatal fires to 29 children and nine adults.

In July, Kaieteur News had reported on the number of fatal fires that occurred within the first six months of the year. But within a week in August, two young brothers, a mother and her youngest son and an aunt and her young niece died in separate fires around the country.

Those killed are: 12-year-old Eukeila Adams and her aunt Cheryl Moore; Sasha La Cruz and her nine-year-old son Ilyas Wilson and six-year-old Demario Skellekie and his 3-year-old brother, Debron Skellekie.

On Monday night, August 14, Eukeila and her aunt Cheryl were burnt to death in their Second Street, Silvertown, Wismar, Linden home.

Reports are that the fire was set by Moore’s 33-year-old brother, Ushalisi Akali Moore – who was recently remanded to prison for the double murder by arson.

Kaieteur News had reported that the fire was set by Moore who had reportedly escaped from the scene just after setting the house ablaze but was subsequently caught in a clump of bushes two streets away. He was arrested.

Earlier on Monday, relatives had held a small birthday celebration for the 12-year-old girl. At the time of the fire, it is believed that the duo had not retired to bed. However, reports are that Moore, who is said to be of unsound mind, had threatened to kill Cheryl with a cutlass.

Shortly thereafter, it was alleged that the man doused the lower flat of the house with kerosene before setting the house ablaze.

Phillip Moore, the girl’s father, was forced to jump over the verandah along with other relatives while another sister, Pauline jumped through a window to escape the blaze. Efforts were made to rescue Cheryl and Eukeila, but they were unsuccessful.

Cheryl’s body was found on the step leading downstairs. It was burnt beyond recognition. Reports from the scene indicate that something apparently fell on the woman, trapping her. Eukeila’s body was found under the step. She sat the National Grade Six Assessment earlier this year and was preparing to attend Secondary School in September.

On the morning of August 15, Sasha La Cruz and Ilyas Wilson tragically lost their lives when their Good Hope, Essequibo Coast, Region Two home went up in flames trapping them.

Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started at around 05:00hrs, and quickly spread throughout the wooden and concrete house.

At the time of the fire, Sasha was at home with three of her four children. Her husband, 66-year-old Andrew Dash, was not at home at the time of the fire.

As family members battled the fire, two of Sasha’s children, ages 11 and 13, rushed out of the house. Sasha, a housewife and her nine-year-old son were however trapped in the burning building.

Kaieteur News understands that the Fire Department took almost 45 minutes to respond and it was relatives and neighbours who attempted to douse the fire.

After the flames were doused, the charred remains of Sasha and her son, Ilyas were recovered from the scene, examined and transported to the Suddie Public Hospital where they were pronounced dead by a doctor. The bodies were then taken to the Suddie Hospital Mortuary. Sasha and her son were laid to rest yesterday.

On Tuesday August 8, two brothers, 6-year-old Demario Skellekie and 3-year-old Debron Skellekie died in a fire at Moblissa, Soesdyke/ Linden Highway.

According to information received, the boys were home alone when a fire started at their wooden home.  Their mother was reportedly vending but returned while the fire was destroying the house.

Jermaine Johnson Jr. and his grandmother, Lynette Gray

On January 15, eight-year-old Jermaine Johnson Jr. died at a city hospital while receiving treatment for burns he received after the house he was in caught fire.

The fire occurred on Friday January 13, at Lot 873 South Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara.  His 75-year-year grandmother, Lynette Gray, later succumbed to her injuries on February 12.

According to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), their home caught fire at around 02:43hrs while they and other family members were sleeping. The family of six woke up just in time to escape the burning building but not before the eight-year-old Johnson and his grandmother were severely burnt.

Rajendra Mohabir called “Slowie”

On Sunday February 12, businessman, Rajendra Mohabir, 60, popularly known as ‘Slowie’ was killed after going back into his burning house at Seventh Street, Windsor Forest West Coast Demerara (WCD) to save his grandson who he believed, was still in the building.

The child however had already escaped to safety. Before family members could have stopped Mohabir, he had already entered the burning building and later became trapped in the flames.

Firefighters had arrived at the scene shortly after and did their best to extinguish the blaze, but failed to save Mohabir or the house. After hours of searching, firefighters eventually found a small portion of Mohabir’s charred remains in the burnt building.

Kevin Trotman

A fire at Lot 101 Third Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara on Sunday March 19, claimed the life of a 45-year-old Kevin Trotman and left 13 persons homeless.

According to the Fire Service, the fire destroyed two houses. Trotman died in one of the houses.

The GFS revealed that the fire started in a two-storey wooden and concrete building. The first floor of the building was occupied by the deceased while the ground floor was occupied by a 42-year-old woman and her family of seven.

The fire from that building spread to another two-storey building located at Lot 102 Third Street (situated on the southern side of the building where the fire originated). That building was reportedly owned by a 45-year-old woman who occupied the structure along with her family of four.

In relation to the origin of the fire, the GFS said that a child was playing with matches that ignited a foam mattress and caused the fire to quickly spread throughout the building.

Sammy Munian

On April 5, a fire at Fairfield Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resulted in the death of 75-year-old Sammy Munian.

Munian’s one-flat wooden house, according to the Fire Service, caught fire after someone set a pile of rubbish ablaze close to his home. “The incident was the result of a deliberate setting of fire to rubbish, which subsequently spread to the house that was in close proximity,” GFS stated.

Firefighters were called to the scene but could not save the house from being destroyed. Sadly, Munian was unable to escape the burning building and when the blaze was fully extinguished, firefighters recovered his charred remains.

Pastor Herman Perreira

The following day, April 6, a fire at Lot 11 A Williamsburg Corentyne, Berbice Region Six, claimed the life of a pastor and businessman, 64-year-old, Herman Perreira and left his family of six homeless.

The dead man’s wife, Patricia Perreira, told investigators that she left her husband sitting in their dining room and went downstairs with her two grandsons.

Her grandsons went on the street to play while she sat in her hammock underneath the house. A short while later, she got up and returned upstairs after one of her sons begged to use the hammock. When she entered, the woman reportedly saw smoke emanating from a wall where their air condition unit was located and recalled her daughter immediately shouting fire. Patricia said she became afraid and ran out of the house leaving her husband behind.  Within minutes, the house was engulfed in flames trapping Herman Perreira inside.

The fire service in Berbice was summoned to the scene and did their best to save the businessman. They managed to enter the building as quickly as they could and found the badly burnt body of Perreira lying in the dining room. He was picked up and rushed to the Port Mourant Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The GFS said the fire was electrical in origin.  “The fire was caused by the overheating of an AC conductor, which ignited nearby combustibles and spread to the entire building”, GFS said.

Mahdia 20

A 15-year-old girl who is accused of starting the deadly fire at Mahdia Secondary School female dormitory was slapped with 20 murder charges.

She was charged by police for murder, contrary to section 100(1) (c) (iii) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, chapter 08:01. The accused was not required to plead to the indictable charges which stated that on Sunday May 21, 2023, at Mahdia Secondary School, Region Eight, she murdered Adonijah Jerome, Tracil Thomas, Lisa Roberts, Delecia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Arriana Edwards, Cleoma Simon, Subrina John, Martha D’Andrade, (and twin) Mary D’Andrade, Belnisa Evans, Loreen Evans, Omerfia Edwin, Nickleen Robinson, Eulanda Carter, Andrea Roberts, Rita Jeffrey and Sherana Daniels.

The girl was not required to plead to the charge and she was further remanded to the Juvenile Holding Centre. The matter was then adjourned to July 20, 2023, for report and statements.

This publication had reported that on May 29, the teen suspect made her first court appearance, when she was slapped with 19 murder charges and remanded. The day after the suspect was remanded; 14-year-old Sherana Daniels succumbed.

Notably, the laws of Guyana protect the identity of juveniles criminally charged. Section 100 of the Juvenile Justice Act, stipulates that a person shall not publish the name or any information related to a juvenile if it would identify the child or juvenile as having been dealt with under the Act.

According to reports, around 23:00 hours on Sunday May 21, 2023, the fire erupted at the dormitory. The Fire Service reported that the point of origin of the fire was in the south-western interior of the building, in the lavatory area.

The police alleged that the fire was reportedly maliciously set by the teen suspect, who was aggrieved over her phone being confiscated by the dorm mother, Carletta Williams and a teacher. At the time of the fire, there were 57 female students in the dormitory which is a one-flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with 26 heavily-grilled windows and five doors that were padlocked.

According to the GFS, when firefighters arrived on the scene, it was observed that the one-flat wooden and concrete building was engulfed in flames. A female student related to the police that they were asleep and were awakened by screams. Upon checking, they saw fire/smoke in the bathroom area, which quickly spread in the building, causing several students to receive burns to their bodies and smoke inhalation, whilst several managed to escape. This publication had reported that the fire fighters and public-spirited persons had to break the walls of the dorm to free the girls that were trapped in the inferno.

The injured students were taken to the Mahdia District Hospital and were examined and admitted by doctors. At the hospital, five of the female students were pronounced dead. A search was carried out in the building, which was completely destroyed by the fire, and the burnt remains of 14 human beings were found. Notably, the boy who died in the fire is the son of the dorm mother.

Sundar Nandkishore

An elderly man was burnt to death in his Herstelling Sea Dam home on June 2.

The dead man was identified as 58-year-old Sundar Nandkishore. Reports are that the elderly man lived alone.

His daughter who lives nearby told police that Nandkishore was a diabetic and was bedridden. The woman disclosed that her father was a heavy smoker.

She recalled that while sitting on her veranda, she saw smoke coming from his house. As a result, she and her brother rushed over to their father’s home only to find him on a burning bed.

An alarm was raised and neighbours formed a bucket brigade and extinguished the fire. They called an ambulance and the emergency response team onboard pronounced him dead at the scene.

Shameena Hardat and Anamika Hardat

On June 7, two sisters lost their lives tragically after their Lot 60-61 Belmont, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara home went up in flames.

The two children have been identified as three-year-old Shameena Hardat and nine-year-old Anamika Hardat. Information reaching this publication revealed that the fire started just around 13:00hrs and quickly gutted the two-storey building which at the time had only the two girls inside. After hearing screams, residents from the area rushed to the scene to help extinguish the blaze but could not reach the children in time as the fire quickly spread through the building.

The children’s mother said that she had left home and went to the Cove and John Police Station to uplift child support for her children but was told to return the following day. She said that after that, she went to Georgetown to purchase school supplies for her daughters, when she got the call that her house was on fire. According to the grieving woman, she could not believe what she was told and asked the caller to help put out the fire since she was in the city and could not reach there in time.

She related that the two girls were left home alone, but the yard had two other apartments – one housing her brother and his family and the other, her father. The woman said her brother was home and could not say what might have caused the fire. She said one of the two girls who perished had a disability. The woman recalled that earlier in the day before tragedy struck, she had carried her two girls to take out their passport size photographs since the little 3-year-old one was about to start school in September.

Michael Richards and his daughters

On June 30, a father and his two young children were burnt to death after their Drysdale Street, Charlestown home went up in flames.

Dead are 40-year-old Michael Richards, his six-year-old daughter, Somaya Richards and four-year-old son, Supreme Richards.

According to the Fire Service, the fire started around 06:45hrs. Richards’ wife was not home and had just left the house for work. Neighbours living close by recalled hearing an explosion coming from the man’s home before seeing flames. Kaieteur News reported that the fire erupted in the bottom flat and trapped the man and his children.

Firefighters had arrived on the scene around 06:48hrs and managed to extinguish the blaze but could not save the trio and the building from being partially destroyed.

Meanwhile, fire investigators said that the building was heavily grilled and that it may have contributed to the victims dying in the fire.

---

• Adonijah Jerome, Delecia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Tracil Thomas

---