Tragedies of water and fire

On Saturday, the body of fiveyear- old Josiah Henry was found floating in the waters off the Portof- Spain International Waterfront Centre.

We still do not know exactly what happened. There are some reports suggesting Josiah slipped into a drain while playing in the rain on Friday and was then washed away into the East Dry River. Other reports suggest he may have jumped into the drain to play. Either way, he drowned and his body was only recovered hours later on Saturday, despite a massive effort by the Police Service, Fire Service, Coast Guard and members of the communities of Belmont, the Harp and Sea Lots.

For many years, open drains have been a necessity not only in the capital but all over the world.

They are the most common means of transporting waste water in informal urban areas and are well understood by stakeholders. They collect more silt and rubbish than sewers and covered drains and are much easier to clean.

Because it is known that children play in these drains, all parents and communities have to be vigilant at all times.

Sadly, there will always be moments when, even with all the will in the world, disaster strikes.

At the same time, as a society we cannot ignore the fact that children in specific communities are more likely to be exposed to the hazard of storm drains than others. What accounts for this? Have all our communities been planned in such a way as to minimise this risk? The second tragedy occurred late on Friday night in Tacarigua.

Father and son Samuel and Kenneth Baldeo died after fire broke out in their two-storey home. Samuel was 91 while his son was 65.

Their deaths increased the number of senior citizens who have perished in fires to four over the last 30 days.

Lucky to escape from the inferno were Shiva Swaratsingh, his wife, Melly, son Sanjeev, 15, and daughter, Samara, who is 12 years old.

But aspects of the response of the Fire Services call for examination.

“The water in the tender lasted about five minutes,” said one relative.

“I heard people saying that the tender was not full. When they (fire officers) were going upstairs they were told not to go up although there were two people trapped upstairs. They did not have equipment, they were using a broom to break windows, they did not even know where the fire hydrant was located. My grandfather and uncle have already gone, but if these things can be fixed, it would be a good thing.” At the same time, Chief Fire Officer Roosevelt Bruce, in extending condolences to the bereaved relatives last week, appealed to families to ensure that together they regularly practise fire escape routines to avoid such tragedies.

“Also, when installing burglar- proofing, you should always ensure that at least one window per room is hinged and the keys kept close by,” Bruce said. “You should practise using that burglar-proof to get out, so that if a fire occurs it will not be the first time you are trying it.” While building codes exist, there is lax enforcement of standards in public and private construction.

The situation is worse in relation to dwellings that may not be subject to standardisation. Questions over lax regulation and the lack of basic resources also go some way in undermining our quest to become a developed nation.

The two incidents of the last few days, meanwhile, have brought grief to families, friends and communities, and they draw from us our deepest condolences to the bereaved.