A late morning fire at Blacka Backdam in Sophia, Greater Georgetown has claimed the life of an 11-month-old baby girl and left her toddler brother badly burnt.
The blaze reportedly began around 11:00h today.
This publication understands that the two children were reportedly left alone with their five-year-old older brother while their parents went to work a short distance away, taking another one of their siblings with them.
Neighbours recalled hearing crackling sounds from the shack where the family of five lived.
Smoke was then seen coming from the small wood and zinc structure and as a result, neighbours broke the locked door to rescue the children.
“I knew the children were usually left alone, so me and my son rushed over. The door was bolted from the outside, so we had to break it open,” the woman related.
However, she added that they were unable to save the baby girl who was trapped on the burning mattress.
“I tried to grab her, but it was too late. There were clothes and a lot of things around her. The house is tiny. They eat, sleep, and do everything in one space without partition. When I bend down to grab her, she started falling apart, and the mattress and everything was [stuck] onto her,” the neighbour recounted.
Fortunately, they were able to pull the injured toddler from the flames. He had severe burns on his back and arms.
Firefighters subsequently arrived at the scene. After the blaze was extinguished, the charred remains of the baby girl, who would have celebrated her first birthday on Wednesday, were discovered in the rubble.
The fire is suspected to have been started by accident by the kids’ five-year-old brother who managed to escape unhurt through a window.
Police have since detained the children’s pregnant mother, while the father is at the hospital with the injured toddler.
