A family of five was left homeless early Thursday morning after a fire destroyed their four-bedroom concrete house at Number 67 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
Geetanjali Sukhram, 41, said the family was asleep when the fire started shortly after 2:00 a.m.
Sukhram said she noticed flames outside the house and immediately woke her 12-year-old daughter and her two sons, aged nine and 11, before they escaped the burning building.
According to Sukhram, her husband, a fisherman, had earlier been smoking and discarded cigarette ashes outside the house.
She said pieces of seine were stored in the area where the ashes landed, while gasoline intended for a fishing trip was also nearby.
The fire quickly spread, destroying the house and its contents before firefighters from the Corriverton Fire Station arrived.
Sukhram said the family had lived in the house for approximately 15 years and lost everything in the blaze.
She estimated that the fishing seine destroyed was worth approximately $15 million, while the house and other belongings were valued at about $40 million.
The mother of three said the family is now uncertain how it will recover from the loss, particularly as she has no financial resources to replace their belongings or meet her children’s school-related needs.
She also said her husband has been struggling to come to terms with the incident.
Sukhram is appealing to members of the public for assistance, saying any support would help the family cope with the loss and ensure that her children can continue their education.
The Guyana Fire Service said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
