$1.5M blaze in Laventille

LATE yesterday evening, a house valued at $1.5 million at Pump Trace, Picton Road, Laventille, went up in smoke leaving three of its residents and three other visiting Trinidadians homeless.

According to reports, at around 5.30 pm, retired welder Sonny Gordon, 75, was awakened by his grandchild and found himself surrounded by smoke. As he ran out of the house, he looked around to see his hard earned investment and all his worldly belongings completely en-gulfed in fire. When Newsday visited the scene, a still shaken Gordon lamented his predicament and wondered where he would spend the night. “I have lost everything, including $5,000 I had hidden in the room and several bags with clothes and other items my daughters bought from the states. Now I don’t know where I would spend the night or how I will rebuild. “I need help.” Gordon’s grandson and son also lived in the house, while his three daughters were visiting from the USA.

Oswald Gordon, one of the owner’s sons, told Newsday he was at home downstairs when he heard running and shouts of fire. “I looked up from downstairs in time to see the fire spreading. There was no time to save anything. “What I do know is it started in an upstairs room where there is only a bed and television.” Two daughters, Christine Nesbitt and Lystra Frank, overcome with emotion on learning of the fire, ran to their father, crying and hugging him. Before reaching the scene, Frank collapsed and had to be revived. When Newsday spoke to the fire officers they had no clue as to how the fire started. Fire Prevention officers are to visit the house today to determine the cause.