Tragedy struck at Cromarthy Farm, Corentyne, on Sunday when a derelict house fell on five children, killing one of them and seriously injuring two others.

Dead is 12-year-old Manda Mathoor, a Grade Seven (Form One) student of Central Corentyne Secondary School.

Malcolm Rodrigues, 11, who sustained injuries to his head and shoulders, and ten-year-old Babita Mathoor (Manda’s cousin) who suffered a fractured hip, have been admitted to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Meanwhile, five-year-old Malika Grimmond, and seven-year-old Janesha Grimmond miraculously managed to escape unhurt.

Recounting the traumatic experience, Annita Persaud, the mother of the dead child, yesterday told Stabroek News amid tears and bouts of screaming, that they had just returned from church on Sunday and were at a relative’s home not far from their home. The woman said she was about to leave the relative’s home when her daughter requested to go and play under the abandoned house, which is next door to the relative’s and where other children from the neighbourhood were gathered.

The woman said she told with her daughter to go home with her, as she did not want her underneath the derelict building. “But she nah listen to meh, and now watch wah happen,” the woman lamented yesterday.

Persaud said she was halfway home when she heard “one big noise and know is the house fall. Me hold meh belly and turn back. Meh run but me foot nah move.”

She said she kept screaming because she knew Manda was under the building. When she finally got to the fallen house neighbours were helping the other children out, but she could not see Manda. The two Grimmond children were taken out unscathed because they were under a beam that had not fallen completely flat. The neighbours then also removed the injured Rodrigues and Babita Mathoor who were also nearby.

Persaud said she did not want to hear or see anything more as she knew at that point that Manda could not be alive “under there”, pointing to the house on the ground.

Men from the area then proceeded to demolish the house, knocking out boards from the walls, then from the flooring in order to reach Manda. “Them marabunta [wasps that had built nests in the abandoned house] mek um wuss yet” as they swarmed around, stinging the volunteers.

The grieving mother said that when they finally got to Manda, her “body loose up, loose up, like if she bruk up all over. Outta all body pickney wha mek me one can’t spend Christmas with meh?” Persaud asked as she wept uncontrollably.

The family is asking for the relevant authorities to get rid of the other derelict buildings in their community, which were pointed out to this newspaper, as children used them as play areas despite being warned not to do so.