Helpless relatives watch in horror as aunt dies in fire

Despite hearing 63-year-old Jagranie Ramadhin’s desperate cries for help as her home was engulfed in flames, relatives and neighbours could only watch in horror yesterday as the fire consumed the house.

When Penal firefighters arrived 30 minutes later at Oropouche South Trace, Barrackpore, all they could do was recover the partially disabled woman’s charred body, which had been pinned down by a collapsed rafter.

Ramadhin’s niece, Alisa Mohammed, who lives next door, recounted that she was washing clothes while her children played outside. Around midday, her 10-year-old son rushed inside to tell her that “Aunty Dandaye” (Ramadhin) was calling for help.

By the time Mohammed reached her gallery, she saw Ramadhin’s mostly wooden house already well ablaze. She could still hear Ramadhin calling out, “Lisa! Lisa!” However, the heat was so intense that she couldn’t approach the house. Within ten minutes, the entire structure was in flames, and then suddenly, Ramadhin’s cries stopped. The house had only one staircase at the front, limiting access.

“It is a very sad thing. It saddened all of us today. She was one of our favourite aunts, I would say, on my father’s side. She was my father’s sister. She was the only aunt who used to stay close with all of us. No matter what we went through, she was always there. This was a very heartbreaking thing,” Mohammed said.

T&TEC workers responded to isolate electrical wires at the scene, while firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. By the time police arrived, firefighters had already discovered Ramadhin’s body, burnt beyond recognition, near the stove.

Mohammed speculated that her aunt may have been preparing to cook or possibly lighting a deya when the fire started.

Neighbours had gathered during the incident, but none could assist due to the intensity of the flames and a lack of water in the taps.

“We have real water problems here. Sometimes, water comes only once a month. Even if I had tried to help with the fire, it wouldn’t have done anything—the way the house was already ablaze,” Mohammed explained.

Ramadhin, born with a foot deformity, relied on a walking stick to move around her house. A car had to drive up to her doorstep if she needed to go anywhere. Despite living alone for most of her life, she had relatives who regularly checked in on her.

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