The families who were affected by the Tuesday night blaze that gutted their Range House at Lot 334 Timehri Hill Top are now appealing for help as they seek to bring normalcy back to their lives.
“Right now I just trying to get a place to stay till I can do something or get lil help to build back a house for me and my family,” said Deonarine Indar. Dozens are said to be homeless.
Indar, 47, said that he had just returned from work at National Hardware where he is a driver and was relaxing at about 8:30pm when he heard a screaming out in the yard and he immediately went to investigate and saw one of the apartments completely engulfed in flames.
He added that he quickly evacuated the burning house with his wife and son. Indar recalled that he called the place home for approximately twelve years and is deeply saddened that it was destroyed by fire.
He said that his family lost everything in the fire, including a minibus that he owned along with over 300 baby chickens that he was rearing. He estimates his losses to be in the vicinity of over $5M.
When Stabroek News visited the scene parts of the rubble were still blazing. At the same time several of the victims were with Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri. At least two of them work with the Civil Aviation Authority which falls under his ministry. Benn said he will try his best to assist the victims and will be seeking the help of the Ministry of Human Services.
He added that the Range was owned by the government but was later handed over to the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) who could not have afforded to maintain the building so it was handed over to the occupants.
Another resident, 59-year old Patrick Daniels, said he resided in the range for over twenty-seven years and is deeply saddened by the way it was gutted. He said further that he lived alone in his apartment and was unable to save anything because he was not at home at the time. He added that by the time he arrived the entire house was already burnt flat.
He said, “The building was old and it was made of pine wood that is why it blazed so fast.”
Daniels was an employee at CJIA in the electrical field and said that he is happy that no lives were lost. He had already built a separate apartment several years ago where his family lives so he has not incurred heavy losses.
He estimated his losses at approximately $400,000, noting that he had two television sets and jewellery along with other articles.
Meanwhile, another resident had said that the fire was not electrical since there was a power outage in the area when it occurred.
He also added that the wooden building was quickly gutted by the flames, making it almost impossible to save anything.
Administrative Officer of the Guyana Relief Council Lynette Carter told Stabroek News that their welfare officers had visited the families and offered to have them stay at the council’s temporary shelter but they prefer to remain close to the Timehri area since many of them work there.
She added that they will be taking relief assistance to the victims tomorrow.
