Update: 9-Y-O escapes, father perishes in Kilcoy fire

A nine-year-old boy has escaped unharmed while his 45-year-old father perished in a fire at their home at Kilcoy Squatting Area, Corentyne, Berbice.

Thamsingh Rampersaud was unable to escape and died in the blaze that erupted at around 19:00hrs.

His son, who lived with him since the passing of his mother seven years ago, was able to escape by jumping through a window.

Rampersaud’s younger brother, Cheenarine Ramnarine, who lived nearby, was alerted to the blaze and rushed to the property, hoping to get him out.

Ramnarine described a frantic effort to find a way inside, including attempts to gain access through a window. But the rapidly spreading flames made the rescue increasingly dangerous.

“I took a brick, and I knocked on the window. When I knocked on the window, a fire went out, so I had to pitch back. It was about six feet away, and I couldn’t pass,” he recalled.

Ramnarine also attempted to reach his brother from another part of the building, but security grills and the intensity of the fire prevented him from getting through.

He eventually had to abandon his efforts.

For the family, the tragedy was particularly devastating because Thamsingh’s mother had spoken with him only hours earlier. Seventy-four-year-old Jumattie Rampersaud said she made a point of visiting her son regularly.

Upon learning of the fire and by the time she reached the scene, the flames had spread through the building, leaving no opportunity for anyone to enter.

According to the family, Thamsingh had been living at the property for several years.

The circumstances surrounding the outbreak of the fire have not yet been established. The Guyana Fire Service has launched an investigation.