Grandmother mourns granddaughter killed in fire

Sitting between the sealed caskets of her daughter, Reena Ramadhar, 39, and granddaughter Rehanna Bhagan, 14, on Friday, Lima Ali, 61, called out to Bhagan: "Hannah, where yuh dey?" Bhagan lived with Ali for most of her life, only returning to live with her mother a few months ago. Neighbours previously told Newsday Ali loved Bhagan deeply.

In an interview on Thursday Ali said every memory she had of her granddaughter was her favourite. Ali's house is some 150 feet in front of Ramadhar's home, where Ramadhar and Bhagan died in a fire last Friday.

The funeral at Ali's home at Cemetery Street, Warner Village, Charlieville, lasted less than 15 minutes, and began with the bodies being placed in the front yard. As both fire victims were burnt beyond recognition, pictures were placed at the head of each casket, with Ali sitting between them. She was consoled by her son, Nicholas.

Hafez Aahil Ali of the Muslim Funeral Service opened the brief ceremony by saying the deceased stood as a reminder to everyone that no one is immune to death. He said this is why living a good life is important.

"Our two sisters are here in front of us, and what are they carrying? Their house? Their clothes? The land? The car?

"Nothing is going with them, my respected gathering," he said. "Nothing is going with none of us.

"What is going with them today is the good and bad deeds, the good and bad deeds that they have done in this life. So we ask that God Almighty forgive them for whatever wrong they have committed in this life. May he make it easy for them and may he give them a resting place in
jannatul firdaus (paradise)."