A nine-year-old boy is in a medically induced coma in hospital after a fire tore through a National Housing Corporation apartment in Maynards, St Peter, Barbados, early on Sunday, September 27.
The Barbados Fire Service received an emergency call at around 3:46 a.m. and dispatched two water tankers and multiple personnel to the ten-unit housing complex. Firefighters arrived to find one apartment already fully engulfed in flames.
The boy was rescued from the apartment before fire personnel arrived and was taken to hospital. He is now in a medically induced coma because he is having difficulty breathing on his own, according to reports made on Monday. His mother was also hospitalised after inhaling heavy smoke while trying to save her son.
Residents reported hearing sounds similar to explosions before the fire spread. Some neighbours helped evacuate other residents as flames and smoke intensified. The ground floor unit suffered severe damage, and while the upper levels were not directly engulfed, extensive heat and water damage have made the building unlivable.
The National Housing Corporation has since secured damaged windows and replaced locks. Emergency living arrangements are being explored for the affected family.
The exact cause of the fire has not been officially determined. Patrick Edwards, a Divisional Fire Officer, ruled out electrical equipment failure but pointed to poor-quality phone chargers, overloaded electrical circuits and inadequate extension cords as possible fire hazards. He urged residents to install smoke alarms in their homes.
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