Disabled woman perishes in early morning blaze

Feb 18, 2019 News

A 57-year-old woman perished at around 01.00 hrs yesterday after she was trapped in a fire that razed her Block 8 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara home.
Yowani Sasenarine, 57, who had suffered a stroke sometime ago, was alone in the upper flat of the two-storey wooden house when the fire started.
Three fire tenders had rushed to the scene but the firefighters were unable to save the building.
The cause of the blaze was still unknown up to late yesterday. It is believed to have started in the upper flat. Nothing was saved.

Dead: Yowani Sasenarine

The youngest daughter who acts as a caregiver was out at the time, but another daughter and son-in law were in the lower flat with their children.
The daughter said she was awakened by the sound of objects falling in her mother’s flat.
She ran outside with her family, and saw that the upper flat was ablaze.
An alarm was raised but they were unable to save her physically challenged mother.
Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle has said the investigations are ongoing and are far from over.
The youngest daughter, who took care of her mother, said she was at a brother’s home, but was heading to her residence when she noticed a crowd on the roadway and huge fire.
She then saw that her sister and others who had occupied the lower flat were all on the road. There was no sign of her mother.
She exited the car and asked about her mom, she was told that the woman had died in the fire.

The remains of the victim’s house

There have been a number of major fires for the year. One occurred at Beterverwagting East Coast Demerara. Another at Tucville Terrace left six homeless. There was also a fire at Essequibo, while another fire at Mon Repos claimed the life of a toddler.