Two families lost their homes yesterday after a man set fire to a two-storey building at Industry, East Coast Demerara before he apparently took his own life by ingesting poison.
Deoshan Narayan, also known as Vinod, who also occupied the upper flat of the Lot 84 Forth Street, Industry property was found at a family member’s residence across the street.
It was reported that Narayan had consumed a poisonous substance shortly after he set the fire. He was discovered gasping for life by a family member, who took him to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) around 11 am. He was reported to have died around 1 pm.
Although the building was occupied by seven persons, no one was at home at the time of the fire, which started around 10.30 am. A shop at the front of the yard was spared by the fire.
The fire was put out by members of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), who responded quickly, according to eyewitnesses, but the two-storey concrete structure was nevertheless gutted.
When Stabroek News visited the site, the building was almost burnt to the ground.
Owner of the property Nadira Krishna estimated her losses to be millions. The occupant of the lower flat of the house, Nalini Chintaman, estimated her losses to be approximately $3 million.
Krishna said she was at work when she received a phone call from her 12-year-old son, who informed her that their home was on fire.
Sources said that the evening prior to the fire, there were arguments at the home. It was further stated that the occupants of the upper flat of the home had continuous domestic problems after moving from Essequibo to live at Industry some six years ago.
Narayan had frequently threatened to kill his family and burn the house down, according to a source.
