Corentyne house collapses during storm

Roopranie Lutchminarine
Roopranie Lutchminarine

A Corentyne single mother is now contemplating her next move after the house she was residing in with her three children collapsed yesterday morning.

The wooden one-storey house fell to the ground just before 5 am.

Roopranie Lutchminarine, also known as ‘Sharmila’, 47, of Lot 68 Number 67 Village, Corentyne, said, “The breeze start blow heavy and me start pray fah let nothing na happen to we. I tell my son to cut off the transformer and when he cut it off and lie down back I just hear crack, crack, and the house fall down.”

The house that fell

Lutchminarine, who resides with her two sons ages 25 and 16 years, and daughter, 22, noted that no one sustained any injuries. However, she said, that a number of her appliances and household items were damaged.

“Me TV, fridge and stove everything damage. Me na even get to cook for the morning. We na eat nothing for the day yet,” the woman told Stabroek News around 2 pm yesterday during an interview.

Additionally, her roof, staircase and walls were also damaged.

 According to the devastated woman, thirteen years ago her husband hanged himself after which she was left to care for their four children.

However, about three years ago her eldest son died after consuming a poisonous substance, “Everything me got to face but me a try.”

Lutchminarine explained that she supported her children in school by doing domestic work for persons in her community. “Me lil son got to write CXC next week now and he na even get to go school today because of this,” she lamented

Last year Lutchminarine was forced to quit working after she was diagnosed with having fibroids. “Me got to do one surgery but them doctors say that them na do it now, because of the corona them na do none surgery right now, so me a wait”.

The family is seeking the public’s assistance in rebuilding their house, since they have nowhere else to turn to at this time. “We go stay by my neighbour tonight but after that we ain’t know what we gone do,” she said.

They can be contacted on telephone number 602-4571.