Penal fire leaves family of four homeless

A fire in Penal has left a family of four homeless, and the worried mother is pleading to the public for help.

Narina Ramlal, 29, her common-law husband Naresh Ramsubhag, 33, and their two children, ages ten and eight, were unable to save anything from the fire which happened at about 8 pm on Wednesday at Scotts Road.

On the brink of tears, Ramlal said: "Everything was burnt to the ground. I was by a neighbour and my husband and kids were down the hill (nearby) when we heard an explosion. We went to check it out and found the house on fire."

Within minutes the two-bedroom wooden house was destroyed. It was not wired for electricity, and the fire started at the back.

"We use deyas for light. Whenever we are leaving the house, we make sure to put them out. Any help we get, we will appreciate it. The children have nothing for school. We don’t know what to do. We are not working," Ramlal said.

Ramsubhag, she said, is a construction worker. But owing to an injury and the pandemic, he has not been able to find work in the past few months.

The worried mother recalled that about five years ago, members of the Presbyterian church built the house.

"We used to live in an old house on the same compound. We were happy when the church stepped in and helped us. Now, this happened. We stayed by neighbours last night," Ramlal said.

The cause of the fire is not yet known and Penal police are investigating.