Trinidad and Tobago: Fire at Port of Spain apartment claims life of two women

Trinidad and Tobago: Deadly fire breaks through a multi-storey apartment building along Prince Street in Port of Spain, leading to the death of two women late Friday night. According to fire officials, they responded to the fire at around 9:30 p.m. at the Old Coelho Building along Prince Street between Charlotte and Nelson Streets.

Reportedly, around 30 people resided on the third floor of the building and fire fighters rescued four people after arriving, some from inside and some from the roof on the building. The age of the people who were rescued ranged from 18 to 55 years.

A one-year-old baby was fortunately rescued from the devastating fire by the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) officials. But two women identified as 23-year-old Aaliyah Griffith and 60-year-old Susan Ramlogan unfortunately lost their lives and were found dead in a bathroom and a bedroom, on the third floor, where the fire was mostly contained.

In a social media post, the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission expressed gratitude towards the workers who rescued the baby. 

According to the residents in the premises, a series of loud explosions were heard before smoke was detected. Many people seeked refuge on the roof of the building, and many jumped out of the building to save themselves, resulting in broken limbs. Soon after, firefighters from the Wrightston Road and Four Roads Fire Station reached the location and successfully rescued ten people from the building. Police officers from multiple units, such as the Inter-Agency Task Force, Capital City Patrol Unit, Port of Spain Task Force and CID, secured the area while firefighters worked to control the flames. 

A fifty-four-year-old resident broke his leg after he jumped from the second floor while attempting to escape the encroaching flames. He was treated by emergency medical personnel and then taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital.

After extinguishing the blaze, officers reportedly returned to the fire station at around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday. Electricity was disconnected in the area, and poor lighting prevented firefighters from carrying out a full search of the damaged sections of the building overnight.

At least five businesses were destroyed because of the deadly fire outbreak, leading to immense losses to the business owners. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and the damage is estimated to be $4 million, while the building is estimated to be valued at $10 million.