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Cherisse Halsall made the trip to Neuland in a remote corner of the Corozal District this morning and tonight she's brought back this story:

This farm in the obscure northern village of Neuland was rocked by tragedy last night when a mother and her 15-year-old daughter attempted to fill a kerosene lamp while using a lighter to see what they were doing.

Franz Schmidt, Landlord
"The woman put kerosene in the lamp and it lit up with the lighter and caught fire. Legally they almost don't use it almost it's just that she lighting it and I think it's the first time this happened."

"They took them to the hospital, the first one died here, the second one died during the night, they say and so the mother is still in the hospital being cured they say but let's see what will happen, and the oldest daughter too is in the same situation healing as well."

"This caused me a lot of pain, in fact a lot of pain but what could I do. Nothing to do that evening when I was finished with work here my daughter was still playing with the little girl, the same baby that died the next morning but there's nothing to be done, they'll never get to play again, that's over, she's already dead."

And this morning all Franz Schmidt could do was reflect sadly on what he calls Justina Sawatzky's mistake.

Franz Schmidt, Landlord
"She shouldn't have used the lighter like that. I know that she is careful but it seems that she didn't know that. I don't know how, she, for my part, I don't know, maybe she would have forgotten. I don't know why she would have used a lighter to illuminate the area but she did."

"They say that my Dad who lives a mile from here. Even he heard the sound. That happened far because the gallon when it blew up many people heard it."

Among those people were David Can and his family who live on the next farm over. He attempted to pull 10-month old Sara from the fire.

David Cran, Neighbor
"The thing was that we were here and we saw the fire how it happened and we ran quickly that way and we saw how it happened."

"There was the baby in the fire and I grabbed a thing of water and I doused it and the fire went out."

Cherisse Halsall:
"And when you got the baby out of the fire how was he?"

David Cran, Neighbor
"He was already dead the youngest. The other who was a bit bigger that died in Belize City, she was still alive."

But sadly by this morning 3 year old Anna had also passed. Now, Franz Schmidt says he and his family will have to rally behind the Sawatzky's to get them back on their feet with his wife lending a special hand because Justina Sawatzky who has been badly burned won't be able to do much in terms of daily chores or caring for her 8 remaining children.

Franz Schmidt, Landlord
"Well I say that we will hope that everything heals well and I want to help them with everything I can and from there well let's see what will come to pass."

"I think they will but maybe they will take one or two weeks and once they are healed thy will return."

But before our news team left the farm, one member of the Sawatzky family had already returned, 14-year-old Jacob who was treated at Neuland's community clinic had sustained burns to his hand but luckily for him not much else.

Those wishing to offer financial help to the Sawatzky's are encouraged to reach out to them or their friend Franz Schmidt on their farm in the Neuland community.

Our 7 news team also spoke to a village elder who believes that gasoline somehow got mixed in with the kerosene that Justina and Helena Sawatzky were using to refill their kerosene lamp. He fears that the family may not have been aware of the presence of the gasoline because the mixup may have happened wherever the flammable fuel was purchased.