Guyana: 4-year-old dies in house fire caused by children playing with matchsticks

Guyana: A 4-year-old, Junior Anderson, lost his life tragically during a house fire that took place around 3:39 pm at Field Sophia, Georgetown, Guyana. The incident took place on Friday, claiming one life and destroying several assets. According to a statement by the Guyana Fire Services, the one flat wooden and concrete building was owned by 42-year-old Nigel Anderson which he occupied with his family comprised of Shonnette Anderson, 37, Michael Anderson, 11, Waveny Anderson, 15, Cynthia Anderson, six and 4-year-old Junior Anderson.

The preliminary investigations suggested that the tragic fire was caused by children who were playing with matchsticks.

Initially, the flames ignited a mattress inside the home, which then set the nearby combustible materials on fire, leading to the flames spreading throughout the entire building.

The reports further added that three children were left under the supervision of a teenager, and the teen reported that she left the children playing and went down to lie down for some time, after which she slept.

The teen reported that she was then awakened by one of the children who told her that the whole house was on fire, making her panicked and running out of the house.

She immediately contacted the fire services, and after they reached, they discovered that one of the children was not there, following which they found the charred remains of the child inside the house after extinguishing the fire. The incident left the children and their parents heartbroken and scared as they lost the youngest member of their family.

The Guyana Fire Services stated that this incident is a stark reminder that minors should not be left unattended and reminded the parents to educate children about the dangers of fire starters and warn them about using them.

They also asked the parents and guardians to equip their homes with fire prevention and firefighting devices such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.