Two children perish in fire; mother, child burnt

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:01 by GxMedia

Two children died in an early Sunday morning fire and their mother and brother were hospitalised with burns, according to Fire Chief Marlon Gentle.

Police identified the deceased as Adam Marshall, 11 years and Shania Marshall, 8 years. Those injured are Odessa Thomas, 36 years, and her unnamed 13-year-old child. They were admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and their conditions have been listed as stable and conscious

The fire occurred at 71 Joseph Pollydore (D’urban Street) Lodge around 4:30 AM, shortly after the mother, said to be a food vendor, had returned home.

Gentle said when fire fighters arrived on the scene; the old wooden and concrete house was already engulfed in flames. “When we got there, the building was already overwhelmed; the building was already gutted,” said Gentle.

The charred remains of the two children were removed from the front of the bottom flat. “From all appearances, these persons were trapped and could not have made it out from the building. The persons were trapped in their rooms and the fire started somewhere between those two rooms,” said the Fire Chief.

Investigators were told that the fire might have started with a lighted candle near a bed. A similar incident had occurred there several months ago. Electricity supply to the house had been disconnected but fire fighters reported receiving minor shocks while dousing the blaze.