Fire destroys Mon Repos house

Nov 13, 2008 News

A distraught Dhanwantie Mahadeo contemplates her loss.

Fire believed to be of electrical origin destroyed another house on East Coast Demerara, yesterday.

This time, four persons were left homeless after the blaze flattened a two-storey house at Martyrsville, Mon Repos.

The fire was first observed at about 09:00 hours by 71-year-old Dhanwantie Mahadeo, who shares the property with three other relatives.

The woman told this newspaper that she had just finished washing her bridge and had returned to the bottom flat to continue her cleaning when she heard a knock.

She said that at first she thought that some intruder was entering her house but she dismissed it since she was certain that she had locked the gate with a padlock.

But as she continued cleaning she began smelling smoke and immediately called out to her neighbour.

“After I call for her, I look upstairs and saw the big fire,” Mahadeo said while holding back tears.

Everything in the house was destroyed as well as four water tanks, two of which belonged to the next door neighbour.

In addition, two of the family’s puppies perished as a result of the fire.

A resident told this newspaper that a fire tender from the city arrived on the scene but by then there was nothing to save.

Sham Ramdass, who also lived there, recalled that he was at work when he got the shocking news.

Nothing was saved from this burnt out property at Martyrsville, Mon Repos.

“By the time I reached home, that was it,” he told this newspaper.

Neighbours said that they saw sparks coming from the electrical connection to the house.

They also indicated that there was a blackout and power was restored to the area shortly before the fire was seen.

One resident lamented the approach of the power company whenever fire of suspected electrical origin occurs.

“All they does give you is a paper to go and get back your documents that were destroyed in the fire,” the neighbour said.

There have been at least four fires within the past two weeks on the East Coast of Demerara. All were suspected to have been caused by electrical problems.