Freelance Correspondent
What began as a quiet Saturday night in Savonetta ended in tragedy when 64-year-old Krishna Changru was burnt to death after his wooden home was gutted by fire.
The blaze broke out around 10.35 pm in the modest 27-by-30-foot house, which was raised on stilts. Appliances from the Savonetta Fire Station responded, but by the time firefighters brought the flames under control the building had been reduced to embers. Changru’s charred body was later found face-down on the earthen floor beneath the structure, oriented east to west.
While fire prevention officers carried out preliminary investigations, unsettling claims from villagers suggested the blaze may not have been accidental. According to neighbour Kumar Rampersad, residents reported seeing a man running from the area shortly after the fire erupted.
Rampersad described Changru as a quiet, reserved individual who lived alone with his dog.
“He had no children and kept mostly to himself. He worked as a carpenter and handyman around the village and was always willing to lend a hand,” Rampersad said.
He added that Changru’s dog returned to the scene and lay among the burnt embers. Villagers, he said, would help take care of the animal.
