Mother, two daughters

A DISABLED woman, her three-year-old daughter and 14-month-old baby girl perished in a fire on Tuesday night at their Mohess Road, Penal home. Sheila Bridgelal, 41, and her two children — Amreka, three, and 14-month-old Mia — were burnt to death inside the house in which they were trapped when raging flames engulfed the three-bedroom flat, at about 10 pm.

Police and firemen said the family lost their lives because there was no way of escaping the heavily burglarproofed windows and doors of the concrete house. Bridgelal’s brother — Prakash — who lived in the house with the family, escaped by forcing himself through one of the burglar-proofed windows.

Prakash, 32, could only look on helplessly as his eldest sister and two nieces became trapped in the flames. Fire officers visiting the scene yesterday, said that they received a call at about 10.15 pm and responded immediately.

Upon arrival, fire had already razed most of the roof and the three bedrooms. Firemen said they were still uncertain about how the fire started. However, yesterday a fire report stated that the burnt corpse of one of the children was found in the doorway.

The burnt remains of Bridgelal and the other daughter were found lying on a bed in the centre bedroom of the house. Speaking to Newsday yesterday a dazed Prakash said he felt the entire incident was a dream.

“I just can’t believe it all happened before my eyes,” Prakash sobbed. Recounting the incident, Bridgelal said it was around 10 pm while lying on his bed, he smelled smoke.

“As I opened my bedroom door to find out where the scent of the smoke was coming from, I saw fire coming towards me. I called out to my sister Sheila and she screamed out ‘help! help!,” he recalled.

Prakash told Newsday he forced himself through the burglarproof of one of the bedroom windows. He ran to the front of the house to rescue his sister and nieces, hoping he could prise open the front door. But the flames were too intense, he said.

“There was no way I could have gotten into the house,” he said. “I screamed out my sister’s name a second time and she bawled out ‘help!’ three times. But I could not have done anything,” Prakash said.

He added that his sister who lived at Hangman Trace, came to live in the Mohess Road house about five years ago after she separated from her husband. Neigbour Kamini Mahess, 28, who lives in her house in front of the deceased Sheila, also attempted to rescue the woman and her children from the burning house.

“I went to the back of my home to see what was happening and when I looked outside I saw Prakash’s house on fire and he was just bawling. I began screaming for help and went to the gallery of the house. I heard the children crying and screamed out to Sheila asking her where the children were. Sheila said she could get the children to me,” she said.

Mahess said that she stood in front of the burning house and heard the cries of the children. Then the roof collapsed, Mahess said. When that happened, pieces of wood flew past her. The woman was burnt in the left foot.

Another neighbour Neil Mohammed, 33, who lives across the street said he and several neighbours formed a bucket brigade and tried to put out the blaze.

“We punctured three plastic water tanks and threw buckets of water on the house, but the fire continued to rage. There was nothing we could have done to save them,” Mohammed said.

When Newsday visited the home of the children’s father at Hangman Trace, Kumar Sookermani was not at home. Grandmother Madaya Sookermani, said she learnt about her daughter-in-law and grandchildren’s death by hearing the midday news on the radio. “Nobody told me what had happened,” Sookermani said.

The remains were taken to the Forensic Science Centre in St James for autopsies to be done.

Police yesterday said that forensic officers will visit the ruins today to continue investigations.