Even as police continue to conduct investigations in relation to the fire that claimed the lives of three young children at their Barnwell North, East Bank Demerara home, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn has revealed that the house had an illegal electricity connection which could have been the reason for the deadly inferno.
There were doubts about the Fire Services’ report that the fire was electrical in origin since initially, it was claimed that the house had no electricity. There were also suspicions that the former boyfriend of the children’s mother might have started the fire since he was reportedly abusive and would often threaten to kill her.
But Minister Benn told reporters on Wednesday that the fire was indeed electrical in nature and was caused by an illegal connection.
“That electricity was being taken from a powerline, I guess unauthorised, and the identification by the investigation from the Fire Service experts is that it was electrical in nature,” Benn posited.
Meanwhile, the Home Affairs Minister said more should be done to protect buildings and lives, especially the lives of children around the country.
“We have to use that tragedy as a reminder as to what we need to do to protect the loss of life due to fire,” he said.
Eight-year-old Timothy, six-year-old Trayshon Kippins, and one-year-old Zhlia Flue, lost their lives in the fire which occurred during the wee hours of May 26.
Tracy Flue, the children’s mother was pulling a nightshift at her security job to make ends meet for her family when she received the news that her house is on fire, with her three children trapped inside.
The Fire Service was alerted immediately after the blaze was detected and fire tenders were dispatched to the scene. However, firefighters were forced to rush to the burning house on foot because the terrain could not afford them to drive.
