Police are now investigating the circumstances surrounding a fire which occurred early Monday morning on Main Street, Georgetown, leaving a 77-year-old businessman’s body charred on the back steps of his home.
Dead is Yusuf Sankar of lot 51 Main Street, Georgetown. He resided on the upper flat of his premises while two businesses were located on the lower flat.
INews understands that Sankar was asleep in his room when he was alerted by the care taker of his home-“Claire” only name given- that the house was on fire.
Based on eyewitness reports at the scene, the fire reportedly started at around 05:30hrs. “Claire” was sleeping at the time when she was awoken by the sounds of persons pounding on the back door located south of the three story wooden and concrete building.
Upon inspecting, the caretaker realised that it was security guards –attached to the home of the Prime Minster- that were pounding on the door to alert her of the fire which had already spread throughout several wooden sections of the building.
“She [Claire] said she run to Mr Sankar’s room and told him about the fire, then she run down the back stairs and tell the guards that her boss in there. She said she begged them to save him,” one woman affiliated with the family said.
However, at the time, the flames were too much for anyone to re-enter the house.
The fire fighters were called to the scene, and after an hour, the fire was contained, leaving only sections of the concrete lower flat standing.
According to the now dead man’s son, Riyadh Sankar, he and another brother had left home earlier to take another sibling to the airport. He noted that it was only upon their return that they learnt of the disastrous fire and their father’s demise.
“The fire started around 05:30hrs this morning because we were actually out and when we came, half the house was on fire…We tried to get the vehicle out…nothing else could be saved,” he said, while noting that his father’s body was later found on the back stairs, indicating that the elderly man- who had recently undergone a surgery- was attempting to save his own life.
Moreover, information gathered at the scene of the fire suggests that there was a power outage at the home during the wee hours of this morning, and at sometime before the blaze, there had been load shedding.
Sankar leaves to mourn five children, among other family and friends.
Investigations are ongoing.
