CLARENDON, Jamaica – Five Indian nationals perished yesterday morning in a residential fire at the Sugar Corporation of Jamaica’s Monymusk Estate in Clarendon.
An electrical short-circuit is believed to have caused the blaze, which engulfed the concrete eight-room dwelling shortly after 3:30am, according to the Jamaica Gleaner.
The Indian nationals, who died from 60-degree burns, included three short-term contract workers from the Dhampur Sugar Corporation in Delhi, India. The two other victims were the wife and daughter of one of the workers.
The family was identified as a technical consultant, Ajay Jadley, 35; his wife, Garima Jadley, 30; and their daughter Natasha Jadley, 9. Also dead were two unrelated males : Nakul Singh, 28, a sugar engineer; and Anil Singh, 28, a turbine technician.
“I was awake studying and I heard the light bulb in the hall smash, and all the lights went out. I lit a candle, as did my uncle,” Michael Brown, a young neighbour who gallantly tried to rescue the victims told The Gleaner.
“A few minutes after the light bulb (smashed), I saw thick black smoke coming from their house. We heard male voices calling out for help,” he added.
Engulfed in flames
Mr. Brown and his uncle rushed to the scene but by then, according to him, the house was already engulfed in flames, and rescue attempts were made futile because of burglar bars on the windows and doors.
Inside, the occupants were apparently unable to escape the fire as they struggled in the darkness to find a key to unlock the padlocks.
“All we could do was watch … the last voice I heard was the little girl,” said Mr. Brown.
The fire was extinguished at about 8am by two units of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, one from May Pen Fire Station and one from Old Harbour. They were assisted by a unit from SCJ Money Musk.
Livingstone Morrison, SCJ president and chief executive officer, and other officials of the company declined to comment.
However, Dhampur Sugar Company general manager, Chandra Mohan, who led the team of workers, which has been giving technical assistance to the SCJ, disclosed that Mr. Jadley’s wife and daughter had been visiting for the last two months. All three, he said, were due to return to India on 12 June.
Specialists
“This is unbelievable,” he said. “I have known some of them for the last 10 to 12 years. They were skilled workers and they were specialists in their field.”
Bimal Saigal, Second Secretary of the High Commission of India ,expressed his condolences for the victims and their families. Asked if it would deter Indian workers from coming to Jamaica, he said it should be investigated but that it should be put in perspective as a solitary incident.
Investigating officer, Detective Corporal Sharon Thompson of Lionel Town Police said: “Samples have been taken to the forensic laboratory to be identified. The next step is that we will be working with the Indian High Commission and, of course, the families (of the victims) to dispose of the bodies.”
The bodies were taken to Johnson’s Funeral Home, May Pen.
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