SEA student awakes to home on fire

WHAT was supposed to be a day of joy for an 11-year-old SEA student, turned into sorrow early yesterday as he watched his Point Fortin home being destroyed in a blaze.

The fire started a few hours before the boy was scheduled to collect his result at his school.

Police said Mark Ward had to be pulled out of his burning two-storey apartment at Kalloo Road by his father Joel Ward around 3.30am.

Joel Ward was sustained burns to his back and was treated at the Point Fortin area hospital. Mark escaped unhurt.

There were eleven other tenants in the apartment including a five-year-old child who also escaped without injury. Ward and his son lived in the upper storey of the apartment.

According to reports, Ward got up to use the washroom when he saw thick black smoke and fire coming from a room to the front of the apartment. He rushed into Mark’s room, grabbed him and ran downstairs to wake others who ran out of the burning apartment.

The families lost everything. The apartment valued $500,000. Officials of the Point Fortin Borough Corporation visited the families to offer assistance.

Councillor for the area, Reynold Carrington, told Newsday he saw a traumatised Mark barefoot near the scene.

“Fire destroying a family home at any point in time in not a nice thing, and for children to experience this is really heartbreaking. It is unfortunate, but I am thankful that everyone is alive.”

Up to late yesterday the cause of the fire was not determined. Point Fortin police and fire services are investigating.