Guyana: Deadly house fire on Sunday claims life of couple

Guyana: A couple perished in a fire on Sunday which completely destroyed their residence located at Lot 1A Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo, Guyana. The victims have been identified as 57-year-old Hansraj Narine who was a bus driver and 52-year-old Hemwattie Narine who was a teacher. 

According to the information, the couple lost their lives when a fire broke inside their residence during early hours of Sunday. The fire reportedly broke around 1:55 am and destroyed the one flat wooden and concrete structure completely, leaving behind ashes of the structure.  

The police revealed that the preliminary investigations suggest that the fire was caused because of a slack electrical connection which resulted in arcing and sparking that further ignited nearby combustible materials. 

It is said that the Guyana Fire Service immediately responded to the call and arrived at the scene around 2:16 am. The firefighting efforts began immediately however despite the rapid response, the fire had already engulfed the building and left no time for the occupants to escape.  

The officials found the two bodies in the northern area of the house along with their suspected pet dog. The undertakers were later summoned, and the bodies of the deceased were taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home pending autopsy.  

Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses are calling the fire ‘deadly’ and said that they could hear the victims shouting for help from side and the dog could also be heard barking as they attempted to call someone for help. The videos making rounds on social media shows the residence completely destroyed, leaving behind just debris.  

Following the incident, Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham reiterated the significance and adherence to electrical maintenance protocols and urged all citizens to take necessary precautions to protect theirs homes and families. He added that the Guyana Fire Service will educate the public regarding fire prevention measures and the significance of ensuring electrical systems are properly installed.