Mentally unstable man killed after house collapses on him

After being crushed by a building under which he was sleeping at Beterverwagting (BV), 23-year-old Dimitri Reece, who was said to be mentally unstable, is now dead.

The abandoned house which collapsed on sleeping Dimitri Reece.
The abandoned house which collapsed on sleeping Dimitri Reece.

The tragedy occurred in the wee hours of yesterday morning, according the residents of Sideline Dam, BV, East Coast Demerara. They related that at around 3 am they heard the loud noise and observed the house falling. However Reece’s cousin opined that no one was aware of his cousin’s presence on the premises until much later when “the place got bright.” According to him, it was then they discovered that Reece had in fact been sleeping in his hammock under the house. However, when they pulled the man out from beneath the debris, it was too late.

Reece’s cousin explained that the man was deemed mentally unstable and he had no fixed place of abode as he preferred to wander the neighbourhood. Relatives said Reece was welcome in their home; he just didn’t want to stay.

Another resident of the community explained that the collapse of the house did not come as much of a shock to her as the building was very old and in a deplorable condition because it was uninhabited.

There are several other similar buildings in the community; unmonitored and posing a danger to residents. When asked for a comment on the matter, NDC chairman Bruce Adams said he was unaware of the collapse of the house and had nothing to say about the other unsound structures in the neighbourhood.