Family of three homeless after fire at Maloney apartment

A fire at Building 11 Maloney Gardens, D’Abadie on Wednesday destroyed the unit where it occurred, leaving three people homeless. No one was injured in the incident.

In a release, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) said the fire happened at 7.40 pm on Wednesday in Unit 4-1 West. Preliminary investigations said it was caused by a gas tank that caught fire while the resident was baking. The fire services were called and arrived at the scene promptly. The fire was contained.

The HDC said it offered shelter overnight to the affected family and will work with its departments to relocate the family to an available apartment.

The HDC’s emergency response team will also partner with the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation to supply food, water, and other necessities to the family.

Housing and Urban Development Minister and MP for Arouca/Maloney Camille Robinson-Regis will offer clothing and other supplies to the family.

Chairman Noel Garcia and Managing Director Jayselle McFarlane expressed solidarity with the displaced family, saying they will be given comfortable lodging and some level of normalcy following this ordeal.

The HDC said it would conduct checks to determine the damage to the building, including water damage to the adjacent units and those located directly under the affected apartment.

It said once the fire services completes its investigation, the HDC will deploy crews from the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) and Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep) from the area to assist in cleaning and refurbishing the apartment. The HDC thanked the TT Fire Services for their swift response in containing and extinguishing the fire.

Garcia and McFarlane also expressed their gratitude to the HDC’s executive team, who were on-site to offer assistance to the family and provide additional support.