Suspected arson is being blamed for a fire which claimed the lives of the alleged perpetrator and his aunt at Vistabella on Thursday night.
An attempt by Christine Niamath, 66, to escape the fire failed as debris fell on her head, burning her and her nephew, Sheldon Jadoo, 35, to death. Fire officers found the charred remains of Niamath, a cashier of Jarvis Street Extension near the window of her bedroom while Jadoo’s remains were found in the living room.
Niamath’s daughter, Colette Crawford, 23, and her other nephew Mark Jadoo, 45, escaped death by jumping through a window. However, neighbours said it was impossible to re-enter the wooden house as the fire was uncontrollable.
Police said the fire began around 11.23 pm when the family heard someone shout out “the house on fire.” Crawford jumped through a window first and was followed by Mark who received serious burns and had to be taken to the San Fernando General Hospital.
However, Christine and Sheldon were unable to escape the blaze and were subsequently found dead after firefighters from the Mon Repos Fire Station extinguished the blaze.
Christine’s brother, Terrence James Niamath, who lives in the area, said he came out his house around 11.30 pm and heard the crackling noises from the fire. When he looked across, he saw a lot of smoke and Crawford running from the house.
“I saw my niece running and I ask “Where is my sister?” I thought she escaped and went. Then my neighbour told me that she jump out of a window and landed on the ground and hit her head. She jumped about 15 or 20 feet.
“Mark Jadoo, the one who died, that is his brother. I can’t say how badly they were burned but I understand they had to jump through a window. I heard she told her daughter ‘jump,’ and she jumped after. But when she jumped she hit her head and the building collapsed on her and that was it,” Terrence said. He said Sheldon was mentally ill and had threatened to burn the house several times before.