KEVON FELMINE
Senior Reporter
kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
An autopsy has confirmed that 60-year-old Bachan Samlal, the paralysed Barrackpore man whose home was destroyed by fire earlier this month, died from shock and asphyxia, and police say no foul play is suspected.
The post-mortem examination was conducted around 11 am on Friday at the Forensic Science Centre in St James by Dr Parthasarathi Pramanik. Police said the procedure, which was witnessed by PC Subero, determined that Samlal’s death was an unnatural one caused by the effects of the fire.
Samlal died after a fire destroyed his wooden three-bedroom home at Sand Hill Trace, Barrackpore, on March 1.
Despite attempts by neighbours and relatives to extinguish the blaze, the house was gutted, and Samlal’s charred remains were later found near the ruins of his bed.
Samlal, a father of seven and grandfather of 11, lived alone, although one of his daughters would occasionally stay with him. His estranged common-law wife, Shirley Rampersad, who lives next door, said she was on the road around 5.30 pm when she noticed smoke coming from the house.
Rampersad said she began shouting for help as flames rapidly spread through the structure. Neighbours responded to her cries and ran out to assist in extinguishing the blaze, but they soon found out that there was no water in the pipe. They tried with whatever little they could find: a bucket and barrel, but it was too much.
By the time firefighters from the Mon Repos Fire Headquarters arrived, the house had already burned to the ground. After the blaze was extinguished, Samlal’s remains were discovered at the side of the bed.
