DONNA LAWRENCE and her seven children escaped death yesterday morning when fire razed the tenement yard on Regent Street, Allman Town, central Kingston, where they had been living for the last five years.
"It is like a voice woke me up in my sleep. When I really woke up I saw fire in the back room and the house full of smoke," said the 36-year-old mother.
At 2 o'clock she and her children managed to run outside, before the fire engulfed the wooden house and spread quickly to other houses.
Shouts of "Fire, fire" and "Help" had neighbours rushing from their houses. Some said they attempted to put out the blaze, while the efforts of others to save personal belongings failed.
LOST VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING
Lennox Robinson, 67, a pensioner, said that while he was assisting in fighting the blaze, his one-room house caught fire. He lost everything.
"I am sickly man. I trouble with diabetes and hypertension and lost all my medication in the fire. Only this me have left," said Mr. Robinson, pointing to the pair of jeans and T-shirt he was wearing.
According to the residents, more than 50 persons, including 32 children, have been left homeless. Several parents told The Gleaner they had just started their back-to-school preparations and had lost everything.
Victor Cummings, MP for Central King-ston, said he was trying to establish the ownership of the land to rebuild the houses that were destroyed.
"We are welcoming help for the people from just about anybody," he told The Gleaner last night.
