Latest update February 10th, 2025 7:48 AM
Teacher dies in Port Mourant fire
…two houses gutted in inferno, elderly woman homeless
Kaieteur News – Hope turned to despair late on Tuesday night when firefighters confirmed that a beloved Port Mourant school teacher perished in a fire which gutted two houses in the Ancient County.
Dead, Tokant Deokharan
Dead is 43-year-old Tokant Deokharan.
According to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), it was informed at 22:17hrs on Tuesday night about the massive blaze at Manager’s Quarters, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice.
The GFS said two water tenders and seven firefighters from the Rose Hall Fire Station immediately responded. Upon arrival at the scene, firefighters observed two buildings fully engulfed in flames and smoke.
The Fire Service said the fire originated in a one-storey wooden and concrete house owned by Tokant Deokharan’s sister who resides in the United States. Deokharan, who lived at the house, perished in the blaze while the building was destroyed.
The blaze, which residents said spread within minutes, also engulfed another two-storey wooden and concrete house which was located next to Deokharan’s home. That building, which was occupied by 75-year-old Ameena Bacchus, was also gutted by the inferno, rendering the elderly woman homeless.
The firefighters were able to contain the blaze which residents noted threatened a third house nearby.
Meanwhile, as news of the fire circulated, past and present students of Deokharan expressed hope that the popular school teacher was alive. However, their worst fears were confirmed when the firemen informed residents that they had found the man’s remains. “The best lesson teacher died tonight,” one of his past students exclaimed on Facebook.
One of the buildings on fire at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice on Tuesday night. (Photo: Reya Sukraj)
Another of his former students noted that Tokant “was the coolest guy I know” while a former colleague said he was well known for being a helpful teacher. Tokant taught at the Berbice Islamic School at Port Mourant at the time of his demise while he also taught extra lessons to students at his home for years.
Following Tuesday night’s fire, the Guyana Fire Service is reminding citizens to make premises safe against the risks of fires by equipping homes and businesses with fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and smoke alarms.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Forward to the past
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-Guyana’s debt profile, both foreign and domestic, has become a focal point of economic... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
