Five die in Corentyne fire

Last Updated on Tuesday, 12 November 2024, 17:59 by Writer

A mother and her four children, perished in an early Tuesday morning fire at Number 64 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, police said.

Police identified the mother as Hemwatie Singh, a 34-year-old housewife, and her children Kelvin called ‘Rovin’ and school dropout, aged 14; Brandon called ‘Ravin’ and special needs child, aged 10; Tomesh called ‘Arvin’, aged 2, and Cindy called ‘Emily’ and pupil of New Market Primary School, aged 11.

Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Divisional Commander, Shivpersaud Bacchus said one of the children was disabled.

Police said at the time of the fire, the woman’s husband, Rohan Ramjatan, was in police custody assisting with a cattle rustling investigation. Their 17-year-old son, Kevin Ramjatan called ‘Alex’, who was also home at the time, managed to escape the fire unharmed.

The two-storey wooden house, property of Rohan Ramjatan called ‘Map Head’, a 36-year-old cattle farmer of Lot 216 No 64 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

A police team visited the fire scene at about 3:30 Tuesday morning.

At the scene, Kevin Ramjattan stated that at about 2:00 am Tuesday, he was on the verandah, which is situated east of the upper flat of the building, sleeping, when he was awakened by flames burning from the lower flat of the house where his father’s motor car was parked.

“As he saw the flames, he immediately ran down the stairs to the lower flat using the inner staircase. He opened the lower flat door of the house where his mother and his siblings were all awake and attempting to escape the fire. They tried to run out of the house but as they saw the large flames of fire in front of the house, they turned back and went upstairs and were trapped in the fire. They are all suspected to have perished in the fire,” police said in a statement.

Investigations also disclosed from residents in the area that the GPL wire was seen burning last week, and again last night.

Police said no injuries were seen on the 17-year-old who escaped unhurt. However, he claimed that he closed their steel gate Monday evening at 6:30 and went upstairs, and when he escaped from the fire, the gate was open.

He said he could not call the police immediately because he did not have a phone, and neither were the neighbours responding. He said he proceeded to his grandmother’s house in the village and took relatives to the scene. By that time, the entire building was engulfed in flames.

The remains were escorted to the Skeldon Hospital mortuary.

The father, Rohan Ramjattan, was arrested by police in Berbice on Monday afternoon in conneciton with a cattle rustling matter, and at the time of the fire was in police custody. Also, the 17-year-old is currently assisting the police as they continue their investigations into the deadly fire.