Community grieves for children killed in fire

Two empty desks and chairs will be quite noticeable today at the Calabar Infant, Primary and Junior High School as siblings Keriecia Hutchinson and Samson Cameron will not be there to fill them.

The siblings died tragically in a blaze on Saturday at their Smith Lane, Kingston, home in downtown Kingston. As she makes preparation for her children to start the new school week, a neighbour of the grieving parents said she is devastated.

“Right now this rough because tomorrow (today), they should be in school but dem little body deh a funeral home. Mi ago prepare my children dem stuff now and mi feel all guilty say mi can do that and di parents dem can’t do it. A two nice little youth, enuh. The little girl always a smile. All a we down here mash up over dis. Mi no think nobody sleep from it happen,” the resident said.

An overall heavy and stifling grief remains over Smith Lane following the fiery death of the two children. A resident who was among those who attempted to rescue the minors, described their parents as good people, but said the outcome could have been different if the house was unlocked.

“The parents are not the careless type mi a be honest. But mi just a think say if the place did open, probably the kids would come out. Probably the little girl would get a chance to pull her brother outside,” the man said.

Members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade are still working to determine to determine the cause of the blaze.