An eight-months' pregnant woman gave birth during a deadly fire which swept through her home in Central yesterday, killing her, the newborn and five others. Police found the charred remains of the infant still attached to mother Vanessa Chinapoo, 32, in what was their home on Southern Main Road, McBean, Couva. Chinapoo's older children–Sarah, 13, Chaiam, ten, and Moses, eight, as well as her niece Chenelle Dixon, 22, and Dixon's two-year-old nephew, Elijah Narine, all died in the blaze. Police said Chinapoo went into labour in the bathroom after the fire broke out. The back burglarproofed door was locked and the family burnt to death. The lone survivor was Dixon's uncle, Darin Dixon, 44, who suffered minor burns to his hands.
Scores of people gathered at the scene as Chinapoo's sister, Sophia Dixon, sat on a chair sobbing. She said Vanessa was expected to give birth next month. Recalling the tragedy, Sophia said she went out on Friday night and arrived home to see the house ablaze. "My brother Darin ran out, and when he realised the children were still in the house, he ran back in to get them. That was when the roof collapsed," Sophia sobbed. "There was glass everywhere and the heat was too much. The neighbours came out and tried to help, but it was too late." She said the Chinapoos were found huddled together in the bathroom. "It seems they got lost when they were trying to get out, and they ended up in the bathroom," Sophia cried.
They said Darin was traumatised by the tragedy. Elijah's mother, Cheneil Dixon, said she left her son with her sister Chenelle for the weekend. "I have classes on Fridays and Saturdays, so I leave Elijah with her. This morning I got a call that they were all dead in a fire. My little baby is gone..." she cried. Officers from T&TEC arrived on the scene yesterday, and conducted investigations to determine whether the fire was caused by any electrical malfunction. Autopsies are expected to be done tomorrow, and Couva police are continuing investigations.
