A fire of mysterious origin razed a Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo home yesterday leaving its three occupants, who were not at home at the time homeless and with millions in losses.
The Fire Service which responded about half an hour after the incident was too late to save anything.
The Lot 462 Tuschen home of Ganesh Somwaru was destroyed by the fire of unknown origin yesterday around 9.30 am and the family while not knowing the cause of the fire suspect that it was intentionally set.
Somwaru told Stabroek News that he was informed that his house was on fire around 10.15 am and immediately left where he was working in the back dam. When he arrived it was already destroyed. His son, Mohan, was in Georgetown when he, too, received a call and left his workplace but, “when me come, everything done”. His sister who also resides there was not home at the time. The family of three has lost everything.
Somwaru said they have been living there for three years now and the family had experienced an incident when a man close to the family had attempted to burn the house down. He said that in May last year the man while under the influence of alcohol broke windows, threw kerosene on the curtains and set them on fire. Luckily Mohan and his sister were at home and with the help of a neighbour, doused the flames before any major damage was done. He stated that at that time, not wanting any problem with the man they had settled the matter. He said they have not had any problems with the man, who resides in the same community, recently.
The home is not connected to the electricity grid, so the fire could not have been electrical in origin, Mohan reasoned.
Somwaru, who said that he was the only one who used the gas stove that morning, added that he had ensured that it was turned off. It was observed that the kitchen where both the gas and kerosene stoves were located was still intact; food items could be seen on the counter top and on the floor, the metal dishes had not melted, there was a mixture of kerosene and water in the kerosene stove, and the stoves were still on the wooden shelf on which they rested. Somwaru said he had communicated his suspicions to the police and is going to live with another daughter while he contemplates rebuilding his home. (Gaulbert Sutherland)
