A Corentyne family of nine is left with nothing but hope and faith after their two-storey wooden and concrete home at Grant 1904, Crabwood Creek, was completely destroyed by fire just after midday today.
41-year-old Sheneza Yusuf, who is currently battling cancer, told The News Desk that she and her children, two of whom belong to a relative she has been caring for were on the lower flat when tragedy struck.
Her eldest son first noticed the strong smell of smoke coming from upstairs. Yusuf rushed to the upper flat, only to find the bedroom where the fuse box was located already engulfed in flames.
“The melting rubber was dropping on the bed and it caught fire. I immediately grab the kids and run out. I told them, ‘come out, because there is nothing I can do.’ The breeze was blowing, the sun was hot, and when we run out a guy passing ask if anyone was in the house. We didn’t get to save a pin,” Yusuf recalled.
In the blaze, Yusuf lost everything including vital medical documents for both herself and her son, who suffers from Down syndrome and a heart condition.
The visibly shaken mother said the devastation is another painful trial in a life already filled with hardship. Yet, she remains determined not to give up.
“I ain’t give up. Maybe God testing my faith to see if I would give up, but I’m not,” she declared.
Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald confirmed that preliminary findings suggest the fire was electrical in origin. Residents also reported several back-to-back power outages in the area around the time of the fire.
For now, Yusuf, her husband and her seven children are staying at a friend’s home as they try to rebuild their lives from scratch.
Anyone willing to assist the family can make contact with her on telephone number 625-3609.
