Two die in New Grant fire – MOM, 92, TRIES TO SAVE SON

DEDICATING her life to her children, especially her eldest, who was mentally disabled, Surujdai Soogrim, 92, reportedly turned back from safety to save her son Boysie Sonnyboy, 63, when their home caught fire on Sunday night.

However, they both died in the blaze.

Reports said the fire broke out shortly before midnight on Sunday at Soogrim's home at School Trace, New Grant. Often tasked with taking care of Soogrim, her second son, Azim Abdool, 62, and his family were notified about the fire shortly after by neighbours and left their Maraj Trace, Barrackpore home to go there. His wife Wazifa, 52, said a neighbour told them Soogrim was out of the house but had returned to get Sonnyboy.

"She did not want to leave him, so she went back for him, that is what one of the neighbours told us. That when they tried to tell she to come out, she didn't want to come out.

"She went back and said she son inside, and she went to call him and she get trapped."

Abdool said when he arrived, the fire service and police were already there. He said the fire officers kept him appraised as they discovered the bodies of his mother and stepbrother.

He described his mother as a woman determined to care for her children.

"I know she tried hard to see if she could save him although he wasn't well or what, she had she special love for him," he said.

He said they would often invite her to spend time at their Barrackpore home, but she would often decline or make short visits because she was concerned for Sonnyboy. Abdool's daughter, Annicer Maharaj, 27, said Sonnyboy always held a special place in her grandmother's heart.

"She always wanted to be around him. I don't know if it was because he was her firstborn or what, but she always want to be with him and be around him, and if he goes anywhere, she would go looking for him.

"That's how she is. She never wanted to leave him to go anywhere."

She said her uncle was an outpatient of the Princes Town Health Facility's clinic.

"As of two, three years ago, they (doctors) start coming home to see about him, because it ( his disability) kept getting worse. One time, I had went Princes Town to see the doctor for him, and the doctor said that it's not going to get better and will just keep getting worse the older he gets," she said.

Describing herself as possibly being Soogrim's favourite grandchild, Maharaj fondly remembers spending weeks on end with her grandmother, who would often take her into Princes Town and buy anything she wanted.

She said her brother and mother were in the process of making plans with Soogrim for Christmas, as she would normally spend the day with them.

Abdool said they would visit his mother around three times weekly, with their last visit being hours before her death on Sunday.

When Newsday visited Soogrim's burnt home, fire officials were searching through the debris as part of investigations. Neighbours and relatives were also visiting to see what remained of the house.
Soogrim's nephew Kimraj Ramdial questioned what could have caused the fire. He and his wife visited after attending a funeral several houses away.

A neighbour, Nisha, told Newsday she would miss seeing Soogrim, whom she would pass daily while walking along the road.

The cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed but Abdool said there was an incident earlier this year when his stepbrother set the couch on fire. However, his wife said she does not believe Sonnyboy was to blame for this incident, because she was told his body was found in the bedroom, as if he was sleeping.

"So we are assuming it wasn't his fault," she said.

The family said the autopsy is expected to be done later this week and then a date will be set for the funerals. In the meantime, the wake will be held at Abdool's Barrackpore home.

Other deadly fires in 2023

On November 9, Reena Ramadhar, 39, and her 14-year-old daughter Rehanna Bhaggan died in a fire at their Warner Village, Charlieville home. Neighbours believed the blaze was caused by a fireside stove she kept inside her one-bedroom galvanised home. They told Newsday she would often leave the coals to smoulder in the evening to combat mosquitoes and sandflies.

In October, 13-month-old Harley Persad died in a fire at her home at Soogrim Trace Extension, Endeavour, despite  heroic efforts by her parents, grandparents, neighbours and a T&TEC crew that was working in the area. It was later determined to be caused by a faulty extension cord.

In August, 48-year-old Natasha Nancoo and her 19-year-old and ten-year-old sons died in a blaze at their home at Cooblal Trace, Toco Main Road, Sangre Grande.

In April, Kimba Morris, 42, and her eight-year-old daughter Zeya died in a fire at their Quinam Road, Siparia home. Three relatives, Dana Phillip, 35, Zola Morris, 22, and Zeyden Morris, 16, managed to escape.