Nation mourns with Maraval family after three children die in tragedy

The deaths of three children in a house fire on Monday has sent the country, including President Paula-Mae Weekes, into deep mourning.

Ezekiel, 17, Faith, six, and Kayden Burke, three, died trying to escape from their home at Rookery Nook, Maraval, around 7.30 am.

Their parents, Troy Burke and Genevieve Rodriguez were not home when the fire broke out, but their father was injured trying to get into the burning house to free them. Only two children, 13 and 15, escaped unharmed.

On Tuesday, in a release, Weekes said she was heartbroken by the event and the deaths were felt across the islands.

“Losing any citizen is dreadful, that Ezekiel, Faith and Kayden were children and all from a single family, is especially heart-breaking.

“For the parents and surviving siblings, enduring this unfathomable pain and loss must be extraordinarily difficult and we pray that they have the support they need. Be assured that the whole nation grieves with you.”

Minister of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox called on the country to rally around the family and friends.

While visiting a home partially damaged by a landslip in Diego Martin on Tuesday, Cox said, “My condolences to the family of that tragedy in Maraval. I planned to go there... but when we called I think the father is still much traumatised.”

Relatives told Cox that Burke was having a hard time coming to terms with the loss of his children.

Cox said, “I know that this is a time that the families are struggling, and we will adhere to their wishes at this time because the father is not doing too well, so I just want to ask that we want to continue to pray for the families. This is not an easy situation. And we feel that we have to now rally around them in this time of grief.”

The Prime Minister, in a Facebook post hours after the fire, said he couldn’t imagine the pain and trauma the family was enduring.

“Every parent can imagine the pain which accompanies the horrible circumstances surrounding the death of those three youngsters.

In a comforting message, Dr Rowley said, “May you find the strength to endure, knowing that we are here for you in this period of shock, grief and incomprehensible loss.

“To the parents, all members of the family and our national community, please accept our deepest sympathy from my family to yours."

Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar also sent a message of comfort to the grieving parents, describing the event as a sad day for the country.

“I offer my deepest condolences to their families and loved ones and join the nation in offering my prayers.”

Videos depicting the agony and struggle of friends, relatives and strangers during the fire attracted thousands of views and shares on social media. Many sent prayers to grieving relatives.

On Tuesday, relatives were too distressed to speak to the media but later told Newsday that Rodriguez was unharmed and had been visiting her injured daughters at hospital.

When Newsday visited the burnt-out building, one man who didn’t want to be named was seen standing, in the rain, behind the caution tape near the gate, stretching his hands out to what was left of the house.

He told Newsday he was reciting a Mahikari prayer “to help the souls that perish in tragedy.”

The man is not from the area, neither does he know the family.

An RBC security guard, who was involved in the rescue, told the media he was the first person to respond to Ezekiel’s screams for help.

He saw the teen by the burglar-proofed balcony while sitting in the bank's guard booth a stone's throw away.

He said, “I came over around 7.20 am to open the carpark and I heard the 17-year-old boy calling out to me and I run to his rescue and the closer I got the fire blazed more. I get a hose and I started to wet him down because his head was already on fire and then I out him.”

He was helped by a doubles vendor who is based outside the bank's carpark.

“I went over to RBC bank, I collected three fire extinguishers, two with powder and one with water. “

His attempts were not enough to save the child’s life.

“He (Ezekiel) keep saying ‘Please officer, oh God,’ he doesn’t want to die.”

The officer recognised it was too late after the child stopped screaming and fell to the floor.

“We went to the back and burst down the door where the girls were screaming. Neighbours, everybody took a turn, because the heat was so intense.

"After we smash down the door we get the two girls. When we went to get the little boy and girl they were already burnt to death.

Asked how he felt about not being able to save all of them, he paused before saying, “I tried my best, but we could only save two of them.”

Fire officers are yet to determine the cause of the fire.