Pregnant fire victim in hospital for C-section

A PREGNANT woman who became homeless when a fire destroyed six houses in Couva, on Thursday, was expected to deliver her baby via Caesarean section at San Fernando General Hospital late yesterday.

But whenever staff discharge Nisa Harry and her newborn, they will have nowhere to go. Harry lost everything in the fire which also left five families homeless in a squatting community at Concerned Citizens Street, California. Nineteen people among them eight children were affected.

Sunday Newsday was unable to confirm up to last evening, if Harry had the baby. She is the mother of a nine-year-old autistic girl, Nakiya.

"Nisa was waiting to get a bed when she heard about the fire and came back from the hospital. Everything was gone when he reached. She went back to the hospital because staff said she was scheduled for the C-section sometime today (yesterday). We don’t know if doctors did the operation," said a villager.

Harry and her common-law husband lost all of the baby clothes and other items, the friend told Sunday Newsday.

Reports are around midday, on Thursday, fire broke out in an abandoned wooden house in the area and within minutes, flames spread to nearby houses.

"Right now, no one can say what caused the fire excepted that it started in the abandoned house. I was home and I saw smoke. The families lost everything. They need help with everything. We could not have done anything because the fire happened fast," said resident Jillian Warrican, 55. "My house got scorched. The breeze was strong and by the time firefighters reached, most of the houses were already burn down."

The fire victims are staying at the homes of neighbours and relatives in the interim.

Councillor Ramchand Rajbal-Maharaj, who is also the president of the Couva/Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce, said he met with the fire victims and, along with representatives from the chamber and the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation, they distributed mattresses, hampers and clothes yesterday.

He confirmed Harry was taken to the hospital but did not know if she delivered the baby.

"I hope all is well with her. The sad thing is a lot of people have made their Christmas shopping and things went up in flames. All the affected families received mattresses and hampers," he said. "We are calling on the Ministry of Social Development to assist. We formed a group to solicit materials to help the families and so on."

The cost of the houses and household articles are still to be determined and Couva police are investigating.