Turning now from that huge relief for the Munnings family to the tragedy of a residential fire that has left a child dead.
A house fire claimed the life of a 4 year old little girl this morning in the city, and both her mom and grandfather were injured while attempting to save her life. I visited the scene this morning as relatives were arriving to console the grieving family, while firefighters were still putting out the dying embers of the fire. Here's that story.
It's a traumatic series of events that occurred here on Arlington Drive early this morning: a mother's worst nightmare comes tragically to life: desperately trying to find a way into your burning home with your 4-year-old preschooler trapped inside. A neighbor told us that they were the first to call and alert the family of what was happening. And in all the chaos to rush everyone out of the house, somehow they lost track of their littlest neighbor.
Voice of: Jennifer Ariola, Neighbor of Fire victim
"A little bit after that we heard a noise a hard banging and he got up and when he got up he opened the door and looked across and he said C Mr Winston house is on fire, call 911 and at that time I was trembling I was calling 911 and this was like 4:30. And we called and he got up and went cross and was calling for them to get up the house is on fire, the house is on fire and then so it was like Mr Winston and his daughter in law but I wasn't sure what happened she came out of the house and Mr Winston came out but she was calling for her baby. Please get my baby, get my baby but at that time the fire was already blazing and nobody could go into the house it was very sad for us because we felt so hurt and really bad because it is my good neighbor, my good neighbor because once he isn't here we watch his house and when we are not here he watch our house so he was a good neighbor to us he lost everything."
4 year old Kyra Bennett was living upstairs with her mother while her grandfather lived downstairs. And her father entrusted that his little family would be safe while he travelled out district for work, only to receive the heart dropping call hours ago that his father's house was on fire and his baby girl and only child was trapped inside. Bennett says his world revolved around his daughter.
Kyron Bennett, Father of Deceased
"I used to love the streets and when my baby was born that made me open my camera business that made me see a lot of my potential within myself my baby showed me that and with me and she that's why we have that bond because she needed me and I needed her and I need her more than she needed me. I am trying not to cry. I see people cry on the news but I am trying not to do that but the love I had for my baby like trust me it is immense it is immense."
"She was my main push my main drive and I know a lot of young men in Belize can tell you this who come from the ghetto who come from the Southside of Belize their kids are their main main push that is what makes them wake up every morning and say we won't go out there to do that and be their best self so that is just what my baby meant to me more or less she was my everything."
Bennett's father and the mother of his child both sustained burn injuries while attempting to get Kiara out of the house. Moving on won't be an easy thing for this family, Bennett says they have all been deeply affected by the loss of their home and child
Kyron Bennett, Father of Deceased
"Right now my girlfriend is taking it hard right now I just have to just seek some help for my girlfriend with her mental health because it's she who tried to help take her out and my dad was trying to help take her out as well so right now he is taking it hard and then I saw him build this house with his bare hands so this is like his whole legacy or whatever that he would have left for us just got you dig?"
Those wishing to assist the family with expenses can reach Bennett at 654-9171
So far, no cause of the fire has been identified.
