6 children escape fiery death

SIX children escaped possible death Friday afternoon when their house at Gandhi Village, Debe caught fire and burned to the ground. Yesterday, the children’s father, Samraj Basdeo, 34, told Sunday Newsday he left the children alone in the house around 4.30 pm. Basdeo, who is visually impaired in one eye, returned minutes later to see his wooden house completely gutted. But Penal police and neighbours had a different story to tell about the fire which almost claimed the lives of — Kishma, 12, Reshma, 11, Darmini, nine, Nalimi, six Dillon, five and Nicholas, three.

The children were in the house, located on a lonely dirt road surrounded by sugar cane fields and thick bushes. Kishma told Sunday Newsday yesterday she, her sisters and brothers were alone home viewing Scooby Do on television. The children’s mother, Dashmee Ramroop, 33, was not at home at the time, police said. Police said Kishma was frying potato chips for her sisters and brothers when the stove suddenly flared up and started to burn. Describing her en-counter with a kitchen on fire, Kishma said, “I start to dust the fire with my hand. Then I take some water and dash it. But I don’t know where the fire come from.” Kishma said within minutes the kitchen was ablaze.  Her sisters and brothers ran into the kitchen, she added, then scampered outside because of the intense heat.

By the time neighbours rushed to the scene the 30 by 30 metres wooden structure was fully ablaze. Fire tenders arrived 20 minutes later, but the house was already in ruins. Even the family’s plastic water tank in the yard was burnt. Losses were estimated at $60,000. Basdeo, who became blind in one eye while employed at former Caroni (1975) Limited as a grass cutter, told Sunday Newsday he left his children home alone to go out to purchase a bottle of cooking gas. “I know the children wanted something to eat so I went to get the gas,” Basdeo said. Basdeo and his children have found shelter close by at his brother’s home. Basdeo pleaded for public assistance to rebuild his home before Christmas Day. He can be contacted through his sister-in-law on 647-8846.