Mom, five children die in fire -- trapped in heavily grilled house By Joe Chapman (Photos, courtesy Guymine.com) FIRE TRAGEDY: one of the bodies being removed from the house. A MOTHER and her five children, including a one-year-old baby, who returned home from the United States just under a month ago, were burnt to death early yesterday morning after being trapped in the heavily grilled house they lived in. Dead are Melanie Ronnet Gonsalves Moore, 30, her children, Akia December, 10, Melina, 7, Marcus, 4, Mervin, 3, and baby boy Malayah, who was close to celebrating his second birthday. The fire, which started at around 07:00 h is believed to have been of electrical origin. One of the children was burnt beyond recognition. His charred body was found in one of the bedrooms, while the others were discovered in the washroom along with their mother. Two were found in cramped positions while the two others were found lying face down on the floor. ESCAPED from burning house: Claire McCalman The bodies of those in the bathroom suggested that they died of suffocation. After hearing their screams for help from the burning building, firemen and neighbours tried to break down the doors to get in and save them. Eventually, someone got a pick axe which was used, but by then all had perished. The doors were bolted from inside and padlocked and would-be rescuers could not prise them open. From all appearances, the fire started in the south western section on the top floor. Two persons, who lived with the family, were asleep downstairs and were able to escape. One of them is a relative, Claire McCalman, of 17 East La Penitence in Georgetown. She said she awoke to find smoke all over the place and she ran out of the building not knowing that the others were upstairs. Scores of residents were gripped as the horror unfolded before their very eyes and neighbours related hearing cries by the children for help but could not render any assistance. MELANIE and Mark Moore The two-storey concrete structure is owned by Melanie's husband, Mark, who was expected home from the United States last night. He was expected to return with his wife to the United States while the children were to be left to attend school here, relatives said. The family had migrated to the United States just a couple of years ago. Some residents were dismayed that the Fire Service tenders showed up with very little water to douse the raging fire. Soon after the tenders left to be refilled, it was discovered that a few yards away in the street there were a number of fire hydrants and water from one of these was eventually used to bring the fire under control. After the first body was found, efforts were made to remove the others from the building. There were screams and gasps from the large crowd which had gathered outside at the scene as the bodies were brought out of the building. This fire reminded residents of one in the early 1980s when three members of a family in Amelia's Ward died after flames gutted their home. It also brought back memories of several school children who perished when a Dodge Ram bus virtually exploded in 1994 on the Linden Highway in Kara Kara. Sunday, September 03, 2006