7 News Belize

How!? Four Perish in House Fire
posted (June 12, 2018)
How could four people - three of them children - die in a house fire? That's what the town of San Pedro and all of Belize are asking tonight.

The tragedy happened last night on the southern part of the island town - and tonight fire authorities don't yet know what caused the fire. Daniel Ortiz went to the island looking for answers and found the imprint of loss everywhere:...

Daniel Ortiz reporting
4 members of the Nunez-Bacab Family perished last night here at this home in the Escalante subdivision of San Pedro, about 3 to 4 miles south of the main downtown area.

It's the type of ghastly tragedy that no family would ever want to face, but this morning, there was nothing that these 4 victims could do to save themselves.

They have been identified to us as "Clarita Herodia Cobb", or "Clara Nunez" as she is also known, who's 30 years-old; her 6 year-old daughter, Natasha Mia Nunez; her 14 year-old son, Allan Nunez; and her niece, 15 year-old Sherlett Bacab. We understand that Bacab was visiting her aunt and uncle for the summer vacation, but tragedy struck.

At this time, the police and Fire Departments are investigating, and have not determined the cause of the fire, or the precise identities of the deceased.

What we understand however is that sometime before 3:00 this morning, all 6 members of the family were asleep, when Allan Nunez was awakened by the sound of some sort of explosion. He immediately alerted his dad, David Nunez, but by that time, the upper flat of their home was already engulfed in flames.

Supt. Henry Jemmoth - OC, San Pedro Police
"Three building had fire damages. We know that the main building and another house that was beside it was totally engulfed in flames. Everything was destroyed. Some of the persons managed to escape unhurt. We have 2 persons who have burn injuries and other injuries and 4 persons lost their lives here today."

Reporter
"Are the investigators here able to at least give police some idea as to how this fire started and spread?"

Supt. Henry Jemmoth - OC, San Pedro Police
"At this time, the investigators are doing their preliminary work and we will give you an update as soon as they complete their investigation."

We are told David Nunez had to break a window, which he used to get his son, 16 year-old Samir Nunez, out of the burning house. He had to jump from the second floor to get to safety.

In the chaos of trying to get to the rest of his family, David Nunez suffered severe burns to different parts of the body, and smoke inhalation. In the end, he had to abandon his loved-ones to save himself by jumping out the same window. Nunez had to be airlifted to Belize City, and he is currently in a critical condition at the KHMH.

But, perhaps the most heart wrenching aspect of this tragedy is the slow painful death that his wife, his daughter, his son, and his niece suffered.

Sources tell us that the charred remains of all 4 victims were huddled in the far corner of the room where they burnt to death. Knowledgeable individuals believe this to mean that Clarita Cobb most likely tried to shield her baby, her son and her niece with her own body, her motherly instincts in overdrive all the way to her last breath.

Career cop Henry Jemmoth told the press that this is the first time that he had seen something like this on the job.

Reporter
"4 human beings perished in this fire. Have you ever seen anything like this before on the job?"

Supt. Henry Jemmoth
"On my job, no. This is the first time I've seen 4 persons die in this magnitude of situation."

Reporter
"In terms of the 2 persons that got injured, but escaped - do you know what their conditions are?"

Supt. Henry Jemmoth
"One, the doctor has classified his injuries as wounding and one has 3rd degree burns and is critical. Both persons have been flown out to Belize City at KHMH."

And even as the bad as this situation is, quite unbelievably, there was potential that more lives could have been lost here this morning.

Supt. Henry Jemmoth
"Some persons have already been evacuated. Persons were evacuated from the lower flat of the building and the neighboring building. The main structure - that was the one that people couldn't get out, because then the steps were burnt. It had wooden steps."

This afternoon, the San Pedro Town Council, the Belize Red Cross' San Pedro Branch, and NEMO sent out a joint press release discussing what they're doing in response to this tragedy.

Their release says, quote, "Through the San Pedro Town Council, UNICEF will be providing psychosocial support to the affected families and the same support will also given to students from the San Pedro R. C. School and the San Pedro High School for their tragic loss of members of their school community as an initial response. After necessary assessments have taken place, the San Pedro Town Council will conduct an immediate clean up of the affected area.

NEMO will ensure that persons directly affected by the fire have access to immediate needs, including housing, while the Food Bank at Hope Haven is providing food.

The Belize Red Cross - San Pedro Branch will be hosting a radiothon and dollar drive on Friday, June 15, 2018 from 7:00 a.m. We encourage the community's participation in these activities to ensure that these families can recover from this severe loss." End quote.

And in memory of the loss of their student, Allan Nunez, the San Pedro High School made a facebook post informing those on the island that they intend to hold a candle light vigil this evening at 6, to give the faculty and the students opportunity to mourn his passing.

The candlelight vigil is currently underway at the Angel Nunez Auditorium.

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