A house fire that took place on Sunday, August 6, 2017 has done more damage to the family than losing their house and other items. CIB personnel responded to a fire that was underway on Santa Barbara Street in Belize City where two wooden structures as well as a two-storey building with wooden upstairs and concrete downstairs were engulfed in flames.
Although Fire personnel managed to extinguish the flames, the houses and their contents were completely destroyed. In that fire, 17-month-old Tarique Roberts lost his life. According to his mother, he was asleep when she left him in her room while she went to the shop. Shanica Roberts, the 20-year-old mother, said that upon returning about 5 minutes later, she saw a fire coming from inside the house. She attempted to get into the room but the fire was already out of control.
The surrounding neighbors futilely attempted to put out the blaze but it was already too large to subdue. The neighbors say that the mother was gone for around 15 to 20 minutes with her older son and it isn’t until after that that she was made aware of the fire. Baby Tarique cried and screamed as the house went up in flames but there was not much anyone could do because the door was locked and the flames were unruly.
Reports are that fire officials were slow in responding while the fire started at Roberts’ house and quickly spread to the surrounding homes. A total of 17 people, 4 families, have been displaced as a result. The body of baby Roberts was transported to the KHMH and he was pronounced dead by Dr. Flores. The body lies at the morgue awaiting a post mortem examination.
