Burnt teen dies

JOSHUA GRANT, who last week suffered third-degree burns over most of his body when his jersey caught fire as he lit a stove, died around 4 am Saturday at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the San Fernando General Hospital. He was 18. Grant was alone at his Tortuga Village home in South Trinidad last Wednesday when he lit a stove to cook food. His jersey accidentally caught fire. With the flames spreading to his pants and catching his hair alight, the screaming youth rolled around on a mattress in a desperate attempt to douse the flames.

Grant’s entire body was covered in flames and he was spotted running out of the house by a neighbour, who grabbed a garden hose and extinguished the flames. An unconscious Grant, was rushed to hospital where he was warded in a critical condition. Despite the best efforts of doctors and nurses, however, Grant did not survive. When Newsday visited the San Fernando mortuary yesterday where an autopsy was being carried out, the deceased youth’s father and brother were awaiting the results. They refused to grant Newsday an interview or provide a photograph of the deceased. Grant’s mother lives abroad. Cpl Satnarine, PC Ramlogan and PC Charles of Gran Couva Police Station are continuing investigations.