Four persons are now homeless after a fire suspected to be electrical in origin completely destroyed their home at Mon Repos Pasture, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
The fire erupted at around 22:30hrs on Wednesday.
Homeowner, 68-year-old Omorow Deopaul, told reporters that his son alerted him about a cloud of smoke that was emanating from a bedroom in the lower flat of the two-story house.
“I was upstairs asleep, and my last son went downstairs in a room, and he called for me ‘daddy, watch the smoke.’ By the time I come down, there is a fire, and it went off,” Deopaul explained.
Upon seeing the fire, the occupants attempted to put out the blaze, but it spread rapidly.
As such, they ran to safety and raised an alarm.
The family suspects that the fire started from a dysfunctional socket in the house.
Another occupant, Kaloutie Samaroo, explained that they have recently installed a bulb in the dysfunctional socket.
“We put on a light at the side, but my father was warning me because the pint is spark fire, but I don’t know if it is because of the plenty of rain make it get more worse. It feels so bad that people have to walk through in the dark, so I put it on, and I told them (Deopaul) we must watch it, and when people to pass, we must take it off,” she noted.
“But before people could pass off and take off the light, the fire started.”
By the time the fire tenders arrived at the scene, the building was completely gutted.
The family was unable to save anything. Persons desirous of helping the family can contact them on 220-6922.
