(Kaieteur News) – A Corentyne rice farmer and his family are grieving over the loss of their home and valuables which were reduced to ashes by a fire on Tuesday afternoon.

The distraught man, Vishnu Ganpat, 49, resided at Lot 45 Section ‘G’ Alness Village, Corentyne, in the property where he and his family of six occupied for approximately 11 years.

In an interview with Kaieteur News on Wednesday, the rice farmer recalled wrapping up his day’s work in his rice field and preparing to venture out of the backdam via tractor, when his neighbor’s son contacted him on his phone at around 3:30 on Tuesday afternoon.