Trinidad: 69-year-old cancer patient perishes in house fire

Trinidad and Tobago: A pensioner aged 69, Joseph Richards, who was suffering from cancer, has become a victim of an early morning house fire. According to the information, the victim dragged himself from the living room to the yard hardly but was unable to escape the flames.

Richards could barely walk and could not speak properly because of his disease and age. As the huge fire broke out around 6 in the morning on Saturday, firefighters were called and upon arrival on the scene at Hermitage Road, Claxton Bay, they saw that the house had already been destroyed completely.

As the firefighter moved a piece of galvanized metal, they saw the victim’s charred remains crouched in the front yard, said the son of Richards, Stephan. He added that he could not move properly to save himself, which is why he didn’t make it.

He further added that his father could do a breakdown, and he didn’t think this was what he is coming to see. He also said that his father was sleeping in the drawing room but he crawled to the yard in the front following which the fire caught him and these were his last moments.

Meanwhile, a neighbour of the victim, Wayne Fredericks said that he was sleeping when he heard some crackling sounds and added that he thought that some people were outside who were causing these sounds.

But after some time he heard a loud explosion and went to see what was wrong but to his shock, he saw the whole house burning.

The neighbour also said that Richards was a smoker and that the fire could have been possibly caused by one or even a cockset. After the firefighters had managed the flames, the house was gone, and everything was in a state of garbage.

Assistant Divisional Fire Officer Ron Adams, while talking about the incident said that he visited the scene and although the fire fighters had adequate supply of water to put off the fire, they could not save the pensioner as the house was badly lit with fire when they arrived.