Siparia woman, daughter died from inhaling toxic smoke

The cause of death for the woman and her eight-year-old daughter, whose burnt bodies were found after a fire destroyed their home in Siparia on Sunday, has been given as toxic smoke inhalation.

The autopsies of Kemba Morris, 42, and her daughter Zaya were performed on Tuesday at the Forensic Sciences Centre in St James, police said.

Tragedy struck shortly after 5 am on Sunday when a fire broke out at the family's home at Quinam Road and spread quickly and destroyed the house.

Morris' two other children, a 21-year-old woman and a son, 16, and her sister, 36, managed to jump out of separate windows from the burning house.

However, the mother and daughter did not make it out of the house. After fire-fighters put out the flames, they found the burnt bodies. Zaya was a standard one student of the St Brigid's Girls' RC School in Siparia.

Morris' husband, Brandon Morris, was not at home when the fire happened.

Newsday revisited the area on Wednesday, but no one appeared to be in the house where the family has been staying since the tragedy.

Residents said everyone in the community was mourning. They said the grieving relatives might have gone to the airport to meet a close female relative who lives abroad and was expected to travel to Trinidad.

Newsday spoke briefly to the widower, who said the family was preparing for the funeral. The mother and daughter are expected to be buried at the Siparia Public Cemetery after a service at a church.

Brandon said he had not spoken to anyone from the Social Development Ministry which has promised to render assistance, and he is unsure if ministry representatives spoke to other relatives.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined and investigations are ongoing.