Pensioner perishes as fire guts home

Despite neighbours climbing a ladder and hosing a raging fire, pensioner Fyzool Mohammed suffered a cruel fate when he burned and died inside his Diamond Village home on Thursday night.

Mohammed, 73, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, was last seen standing in the middle of his bedroom, trapped by the fire which residents believe started in the kitchen. 

His son, Marlon Mohammed, 39, tried desperately to get him out of the house, but according to their neighbour Ramesh Ramcharitar, the fire was too intense.

Reports stated that the father and son were asleep at their Picton Road, Picton Settlement, home when around 10.30 pm, Marlon, a machinist, was awakened by a crackling sound. 

On realising the house was on fire, he rushed to his father’s room but was blocked by the flames. 

Mon Repos Fire Services were called in, but by the time they arrived the house was already gutted. Cpl Ifill, CSIs Mohammed and Goolcharan also visited the scene where they along with fire fighters found Mohammed’s burnt remains among the ruins.

When the T&T Guardian visited yesterday, Marlon was asleep at a neighbour’s home. Ramcharitar said Mohammed, a former truck driver at Caroni (1975) Ltd, stood little chance of surviving the fire. 

Ramcharitar said he was at home watching wrestling on television when he heard an explosion and looked across to saw the back of Mohammed’s house on fire. He said he rushed out to call Marlon, who was already searching for his father. 

“He was looking for his father in the building but when the fire spread, he ran out. He really tried to get his father out but the fire was too much. Neighbours came with a ladder and hose to try to get him out because he did not know where to go.

“When the guy climbed the ladder, he saw him (Mohammed) standing in the bedroom. He was awake but we could not reach to him. Fire services came within 25 minutes but the building was already gone,” Ramcharitar said. 

Mohammed’s tenant Franklin Ramdhan also lost everything in his ground-level apartment. In fact, the only items that were not destroyed were a washer, dryer and a few clothes that were hung on a line under the house.