Fire leaves family of four homeless

A FAMILY of four returned from the beach on Saturday evening just in time to see their Rio Claro home being destroyed by fire. The wooden three-bedroom house, located at Latiram Trace, Riverside Road, Poole, was occupied by Hamid Manbodh, his wife Vashti and their daughters’ Sally and Abby Manbodh.

According to reports, the family secured their home and went to Mayaro for a day of fun and liming on the beach. When they returned home around 7.45 pm, the family saw several of their neighbours in a bucket brigade, attempting to douse flames which had engulfed their home. The Manbodhs also joined in the bucket brigade but it was all in vain as the flames swiftly spread through the wooden house, reducing everything to ashes.

An appliance from Rio Claro Fire Station arrived 30 minutes after the blaze started, but firemen were helpless to save the house. Damage caused by the fire, including the destruction of the house and loss of household contents was estimated at $120,000. PCs Ramdhan and Ramdeen of Rio Claro Police Station and several TTEC officials visited the scene to conduct investigations. Police sources told Newsday the cause of the blaze was not yet ascertained and investigations are continuing.