(Guyana Police Force photo)
A 35-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter were on Wednesday afternoon crushed to death after the house they were living in collapsed at Lower Bonasika Creek, Essequibo River.
Police in a statement said Seematie Chandra, a farmer, and her daughter Christine Sookdeo called ‘Pretty’ were under the house feeding puppies when the house collapsed.
Chandra and her daughter resided with two other children and her 45-year-old husband, Tulsieram Sookdeo, who is also a farmer. At the time of the incident, the man was not at home.
The tragedy occurred at 16:00h. According to the grieving husband, Tulsieram, he left home at about 15:50 hrs –just ten minutes before – to go and burn bushes on another plot of land two lots away.
At the time, his wife and children were at home. Shortly after he received information from a neighbour that his house collapsed and fell and that his wife and daughter, who were under the house feeding the puppies, were pinned under the house beams.
He hurriedly went home, where he found his wife and daughter pinned beneath the collapsed house.
With assistance from villagers, the bodies were removed and transported via boat to Parika Hubu Stelling, where the bodies were checked by the Police for marks of violence. Blood was seen coming from the mouth and nose of both deceased (mother and daughter).
The bodies were further transported to Leonora Cottage Hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty. On completion, the bodies were then escorted to Ezekiel funeral home, where they await Post Mortem Examination.