Children of fire victims sit exams

THE children of fire victims Darious Seale and Nisha Saiphoo could have been excused from writing their end-of-term exams, based on their frame of mind after losing all of their possessions.

But Ansoneo, 15, Ameleo, 12 and Eve Seale, seven, chose to sit their exams days after their home at Cemetery Street, St Croix, was destroyed by fire last Friday.

Ansoneo is a student of Pleasantville Secondary and his younger siblings are at Princes Town RC Primary School.

Their mother said the children stood and watched their home turn to ashes. Ameleo also lost his two pet turtles and his comfort pillow.

She said they were determined to not let the fire further disrupt their lives, and took the decision individually, with their parents' support to go to school and do their tests.

Saiphoo said since the fire she has had about 400 calls from people offering help.

The family is staying with in-laws, because she did not save the name and number of the person who offered them temporary rent-free accommodation.

“I have a fair idea of where the person lives, so I will go to the area and try to find that person, but we will be spending Christmas with my in-laws,” she said.

Saiphoo went to the fire station on Thursday to get a report, because the authorities need an official report from the fire services before the family can be given any public assistance.

The family has been been returning to the burnt-out site daily to feed their dogs and cats, which are still at the site of their old home.

“We had offers to board them, but they are rescue animals, and if we enclose them they would not react the way they should. They have always been free and if that freedom is taken away they could become sulky and depressed.”

Saiphoo and her husband run a small pet store, and also rescue strays and find homes for them.

“Those that we do not find homes for, especially the adults, we keep.”

She said the animals have become part of the family and related that after she fed them on Wednesday, “They jumped into the van and refused to leave.

"They jumped up on my back, on my legs, and looked at us with sad eyes. It was both sad and funny at the same time.

"The cats jumped up on the bonnet and also refused to get off. We had to coax them to leave the vehicle."

She said they have been getting chow and cat food for the animals and asked people to continue sending pet food.

While they have been going to the site to feed the animals, Saiphoo said they are not allowed to start cleaning because it is still a crime scene.

“Fire officers said (because) nothing was left lighting and there is not electricity in the building, they have to go through the ruins with a fine-tooth comb to find the source of the fire.”

Arson is suspected, as a man who threatened them was seen in the area shortly before the fire started, completely destroying the four-bedroom wooden house.