Fire suspected arson, say RCIPS

| 27/12/2017 | 31 Comments

(CNS) UPDATED: The police have confirmed that they are treating the fire at a house in Central George Town as arson. Three people were injured in the early morning fire on Wednesday at a small residence on Shedden Road behind Archie’s Bar. Police said there were multiple occupants in the house when the fire started and three people were taken to hospital. CNS has learned that two of them were badly burned before they were rescued and fire crews fought the blaze.

While one of the women was released after treatment, the other two victims, both Jamaican nationals,  remain in the hospital in a stable condition.

The local MLA for George Town Central, Kenneth Bryan, told CNS that he was at the scene this morning and discovered there were numerous people renting rooms in what was said to be a tenement yard and many of them have lost everything. He said most of the victims were Jamaican work permit holders, though some Caymanians are also impacted. He has contacted both the Needs Assessment Unit and the Jamaican Consulate in order to get help and support for those needing assistance.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but witnesses believe that gasoline was thrown into one of the windows of the small wooden home, which has been completely destroyed.

People willing to assist the victims are asked to contact the Jamaican consulate.

Anyone with information is asked to call George Town Police Station at 949-4222.  Anonymous tips can be provided to the RCIPS Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777, the Miami-based call centre of Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS), or online here.

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Comments (31)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    If the insurance lapsed it is the employer fault. She should have been deducting it from her wages and pay the premium and not leaving it up to the employee to pay.

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  2. Anon says:

    After seeing the comments here, there is a lot of angry people in our community. It is easy to see how some people could deteriorate to the level of injuring a person in such a savage way. We need to be a more gentle loving and caring community and put away the anger.

  3. nauticalone says:

    We really do have to ask where are the “Powers that be” the various departments and the political elite? Do they not see these “tenement yards”? Do they believe such buildings have approval? Is it that votes (from the landlords and employers paying so little) are so important that they just turn a blind eye? Will we hear anything from any of them? Even the loud mouthed like Anthony Eden? Oh wait….only time he is awakened from his double dipping slumber is when there is any mention of gay people / LGBT rights!
    I’m sorry but the hypocrisy of our Cayman Islands is really too much to bear some days!

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  4. Anonymous says:

    A tragedy to all involved including the Caymanian people. Hey Alden, you know you are importing these problems, right?

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  5. Anonymous says:

    So, who lied on the work permit forms? Does immigration even care?

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    • Anonymous says:

      It seems not. According to radio reports the victim was on a work permit and her health insurance has “lapsed”. Rather than anyone going after her almost certainly liable employer, the community are generously raising funds. The buildings she lived in do not appear to have had planning permission or certificates of occupancy, and the landlord may not have had the required licenses.

      But, we are a first world country where the rule of law prevails and is applied equally to everyone without fear or favor (except when it comes to dancing on New Years Eve in relation to events sponsored by certain people in the right places).

      Thank God for our rescue services and the many good persons in our community. If we had to rely on Government to do what it is supposed to to protect us by actually enforcing our laws, we would be much worse off.

      I wish the victim the speediest of recoveries and that those responsible are brought to justice.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I too wondered about this poor victims Health Insurance. Although I think our present H/I law is designed to benefit only the H/I companies (and possibly those in power who may have interests in said), shouldn’t her employer be wholly responsible for the medical costs? If you want to roll the dice, why should the public pay for your neglectful gamble?

        But I do really think it is bullcrap that we cannot source FAR superior Health coverage from abroad. It is anti-business, anti-customer, and just plain stupid. So someone must be making bank on it, as it self serving and myopic like most everything govt. else requires.

    • Shocked by the hatred says:

      Why do you have to make this yet another opportunity to pick fault with people on work permits. What the hell is wrong with you? Are you the sort of person who throws gasoline through the window of a home to set it on fire and try to kill foreigners?

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      • Hustle simmons says:

        Definitely the kind of person that throws gas on the irrelevant immigration fire, I wouldn’t put it past them to throw actual gasoline!

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      • Anonymous says:

        No-one is picking fault with the persons on work permits. The fault appears mostly to be on the persons who employed them and do not appear to have met their legal obligations in doing so. These include providing evidence of proper housing and health insurance. To the extent that there was no proper housing or health insurance our systems broke down, somewhere.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Have you ever been to Jamaica? This is not that uncommon there. Probably some petty crap over a relationship. This is imported violence. I am so very, very sorry for this victim. But dollars to donuts it is about some stupid breakup.

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  6. Rock-bottom says:

    Before we get a lot of posts about ‘tenement yards’ let everyone who employs a yard man, gardener, helper, maid, handyman or whatever consider how much they are being paid and thus what kind of living accommodation they can afford. The so-called ‘unscrupulous’ landlords are providing an essential service and charging only around $200 per month for a room. The whole economic basis of life in the Cayman Islands depends upon Mr & Mrs Average having a domestic helper of some kind; if the boat is rocked by ‘do-gooders’ wanting to ‘improve’ workers’ living conditions, the knock-on effect will be felt all the way up the social ladder.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Ah ok so let’s just Co tongue to import and exploit cheap labour because it helps us to live like kings and queens

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      • Hustle simmons says:

        Modern day slavery of sorts….

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        • Anonymous says:

          It is an economic reality that many foreign workers CHOOSE to leave their home to come to Cayman to make far more money than they could in their home countries. Many could afford better accommodations if they did not CHOOSE to send their most of their wages back home. They have a choice, slavery is no choice. No one makes them come here. If they want a better economy in their own country , they need to fight for it on their home front.

          But of course, the employer who dropped the ball on the insurance should be held accountable, and pay up.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Luckily there are some $200 rooms as the poor domestic helper can still be earning $100 and $125 per week. Usually those little rooms are given clean and as some of the Tenants will tell you that its as good or better than their own home. But don’t blame the employers only as some of the Employees will beg the poor Employer to take out a w. permit despite the fact that they can hardly afford one. Both partys are in need of each other and so they do the best that they can. Even the Land Lord trys to find something that is affordable. That’s just the way it is in Cayman. Not everyone are millionaires but they certainly have the same needs.

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  7. Veritas says:

    Does not Government inspect rented accomodation?. There are far too many “tenement yards” where unscrupulous landlords charge exhorbitant rents to poor tenants on work permits for rooms that are little better than dog kennels.

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    • Anonymous says:

      that would cost votes…so no, it won’t be done.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Votes or no votes damn it, these places are terrible to live in.and the crocked employers that don’t pay workers insurance and pension should all be brought to justice.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Yup – corruption and incompetence, aided by the fact that even many of our honest leaders seem afraid to do what is right.

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          • Anonymous says:

            There are some honest leaders? Who? Which one? Give me one, just one that puts others first. That doesn’t get off the plane first. That doesn’t take advantage of perks, free cars, free drivers, free credit cards. Gimme just one that actually gives a crap about what is right. Show me just one real patriot. Tell me the name of just one elected official who has half the conviction and or character that I have in my pinky finger.

            • Anonymous says:

              Wayne Panton, Marco Archer, Winston Connolly are all decent and honest. Oh, but wait…..shit!

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        • Anonymous says:

          Okay, I am down with that. But to suggest that employees should be forced to live in higher cost accommodations if they would rather send those funds home is socialistic, and socialism always sucks.

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    • alaw says:

      if gasoline was used in a mansion it would also burn

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    • Anonymous says:

      $200 is an exorbitant rent per month?

  8. Richard Wadd says:

    CNS – The ‘day’ given in your report is incorrect. It should be Wednesday. Thanks for doing such a great job. Regards, RW

    CNS: Thanks!

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  9. Carl Grant says:

    Great job fire crews, please reward these professionals. I was at the scene of this fire and saw first hand the level of professionalism and hard work that these guys are capable of. We take them for granted but it’s not until someone is losing something that we see what we have in these professionals. Cayman government and the cayman people and the chief fire officer should be proud.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Is the new man on the job away on training? I am sure I read that a qualified person was hired for the job, if so, then why should he need trading? Just curious.

  10. Anonymous says:

    It seems like wrath and anger has taken over the souls of some people on this island. I have never heard about such wanton and wicked things happening on this little rock Aren’t we supposed to be our brothers and sisters keepers? Such disregard for human life.

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