The sister of a businesswoman who was badly burnt when she tried to save books from a fire at her home and book store is appealing for donations of O-negative blood.
Moraan Norman, of Norman Junction, Gasparillo, said since the fire on August 3 her sister Merlyn Mohammed, 60, has been warded at the Burns Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital.
"It is difficult to get O-negative blood. I don't think I could get that without money and honestly I don't have money to pay," she said.
"She needs the blood because she is very weak and the burns are to the whole of the back, arms and her stomach. It is third degree burns."
Norman said she was not told how many pints of blood her sister needs.
"What they want to do is all the dead skin on her back they want to take it out. They want to use skin from her thigh but they cannot do it without blood," she said.
It was around 3.30 am when fire broke out at the house located at the corner of Feeling and Rushworth Streets in San Fernando. The house was built in the 1900s and Mohammed was renting the premises to a few tenants. She also had a collection of old books there for sale.
No one else was injured in the fire. An eyewitness said he saw Mohammed pulling books out of her burning home.
Norman suspects the fire was deliberately set and is concerned about the police investigation into the matter.
"I went to the police station because I know in my heart someone burn down that place. The police told me there is a video tape of the incident, but they did not explain to me who has it or where it is."
Norman believes her sister's house was burnt because she refused to sell it.
"I would like to find out who did this and why," she said.
Police said the matter is still under investigation.