4 Venezuelan families homeless after Penal fire

A fire in Penal on Tuesday morning left 18 people, including two children, homeless.

The victims, all Venezuelans, lost all their belongings, but escaped unhurt.

Reports are at around 9 am, the fire broke out on the ground floor of the two-storey structure that housed four families.

The flames quickly spread, and although those who were on the property at the time tried to put out the fire using buckets of water, the building was completely gutted.

Newsday visited on Wednesday, but there was a lock on the front gate, and no one appeared to be there.

Newsday later spoke to one of the victims, Javier Rodriguez, who said he lost everything in the blaze.

“I was here when it happened. We all lost everything. The clothes I am wearing are all that I have. We were throwing water to try to put out the fire. It did not work,” he said in Spanish. “I am a welder. I work hard all the time. Now I have nothing.”

Rodriguez is originally from Tucupita in the Delta Amacuro State.

Penal police are investigating.