Deadly Berbice fire: 9-year-old escapes fire as uncle battled flames to save trapped father

A nine-year-old boy escaped through a window of his burning home at Kilcoy Squatting Area, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), on Sunday evening, but his 45-year-old father perished despite desperate attempts by his younger brother to rescue him from the flames.

Dead is Tansingh Rampersaud, whose charred remains were discovered after firefighters extinguished the blaze that engulfed his home. The tragedy unfolded after the child reportedly tried unsuccessfully to awaken his father as fire spread through the bedroom. He subsequently escaped and ran to alert relatives.

The deceased’s younger brother, 40-year-old Cheenarine Ramnarine, said the boy rushed to his grandmother, 74-year-old Jumattie Rampersaud, and his uncle, telling them that his father’s house was on fire.