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In this July 2021 file photo, firemen work to extinguish a fire at a family’s home at No 1 Rookery Nook, Maraval. The blaze claimed the lives of three children aged 17, six and three. Photo by Sureash Cholai

On July 27, 2021 the nation was plunged into mourning after live videos surfaced online showing the agony after three children perished in a house fire in Maraval after they were trapped inside by fortified doors and burglar-proofing.

On July 26, Ezekiel, 17, Faith, six, and Kayden Burke, three, after they were smothered by thick billowing smoke in their Rookery Nook, Maraval home. Their sisters Zaria, 13, and Jeniceia Burke, 15, were rescued in the nick of time. An investigation into the fire was completed in September. Chief fire officer Arnold Bristo told Newsday on Friday a electrical circuit overload started the fire.

First responder Evans Hinds, a security officer at the nearby RBC Maraval branch who leaped into action after being alerted by screams for help.

Ezekiel Burke

In an interview with Sunday Newsday, he recalled the events leading up to the attempted rescue and how the events of that day haunts him to this day.

That morning started as a regular day for Hinds.

He arrived to work around 7.20 am to cover another double-shift at the RBC carpark, a stone’s throw away from the house.

In the middle of his morning devotion, he said his usual prayer asking God for strength, wisdom, knowledge, guidance and the ability to deal with any obstacles that would come his way.

“I got no bad vibes or feelings that something was going to take place,” he said as he gazed at the remains of the now demolished building. Soon after he started working he heard a loud scream coming from the house.

“When I look down in the direction of the house I saw Ezekiel in the gallery screaming for help and there was a lot of fire and smoke.

“I ran to him and into the blazing flame. I moved as fast as I could.”

Their parents, Troy Burke and Jenille Rodriguez, were not at home when the fire started.

Faith Burke

Hinds was able to extinguish a power line that ran from a light pole to the bank before the fire could spread to that building.

“I ran back over to assist Ezekiel who was partially burnt in the gallery. Unfortunately, the pressure of the water was low around here at that time but I did my best. I ran over to the bank, unhooked up the hose and started to wet him.”

Hinds said he has never seen fear in the eyes of a person the way the teen looked at him as he begged him for help. “He kept saying security I don’t want to die. I was looking in his eyes right through. I told him to stay in the corner I will keep wetting him and I will try my best. I tried to hold him to pull him through. “

But his efforts were not enough to go against the fiercely burning fire. “His head caught on fire, his clothes and then his skin. He burnt to death right in front of me. I knew that was it.”

He said a doubles vendor and bypassers joined in to help and minutes later fire officials arrived.

“We heard the two younger children screaming inside but then they went silent. We knew that was it. The smoke was so thick, that we couldn’t see anything. In all the commotion we couldn’t stop to grieve because it seems we kept losing them one after the other even though we trying hard.”

His attention piqued right after when they hear more screaming coming from the back of the house. They were able to break down the back door and save the two remaining siblings.

Looking back now, if he had the chance he would have tied a rope on the burglar-proofed gate to the back of a vehicle and pull the gate out. He believes the children would have survived that way. “We tried to pry open the gate with a piece of iron, it was working but because the fire was so hot, we couldn’t continue. But the force of the car would have pulled it right out.”

Hinds was treated at the hospital for burns on his upper body, hands and face. Today, a scar stretching from him his left side rib down to his thigh and horizontal scars on his palms reminds him of the good friends he lost. “I lost family because I would always throw an eye on them when they are home and their parents head out to work. I lost loved ones in a blink of an eye. I had a unique relationship with them. As the time comes closer to the anniversary it’s hard for me…I will never forget them.”

Kayden Burke

Four months after the house had been demolished, Hinds still imagines little Kayden climbing the burglar-proofing calling out to him, Ezekiel on the computer doing homework and the others playing together on the inside.

“I have seen death many times in my life. I’ve been stabbed eight times by a woman I was trying to help then I was shot after multiple times by unknown gunmen another time.”

Through his slightly slurred speech caused by a stab wound scar on the left cheek, Hinds said, “I can’t even smile because of the knife wound damage to my face. Life was not kind to me and I accept that but I thank God still.”

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The Ministry of Agriculture is working ‘assiduously’ to enforce guidelines and standards for beekeepers, Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Sharmaine Melville-Edwin has announced.

Last month, a swarm of bees attacked a 55-year-old Grace, Vieux Fort woman who died the following day.

The incident in the community where a honey producer operates is under investigation.

In an interview with the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Melville-Edwin emphasised the importance of mitigating measures when inter-phasing with bees.

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“This is one of the reasons why we want to move forward with this strong public awareness so people can know how to interact and to dispel any fear that people may have as it pertains to the sector – as it pertains to bees because we are seeking to grow and flourish the sector,” the Chief Veterinary Officer explained.

“So there are mitigating measures that will be put in place to ensure that such incidents do not occur. So the Ministry is working assiduously to enforce our guidelines, to enforce standards, to ensure that our beekeepers are in compliance with standards and procedures and put in further measures to prevent such an occurrence in the future,” she stated.

Melville-Edwin disclosed that there has been a lot of interest in beekeeping with a lot of financial injection into apiculture.

As a result, she expected that the sector would contribute even more to agriculture and GDP.

“Apiculture has a lot to offer and the government and Ministry – by extension the government, has invested in apiculture and we hope to expand, increase honey production because there’s a great demand for honey in Saint Lucia as people see the health benefits of it,” the Chief Veterinary Officer told the Agriculture Ministry’s Communications Unit.

“We need to increase supply to meet that demand,” she stated.

Melville-Edwin spoke as the Ministry of Agriculture convened an apiculture stakeholder meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was to develop a strategy to further enhance the sector and raise awareness through a public communication initiative.

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Cuban firefighters were joined by special teams sent by Mexico and Venezuela on Sunday as they battled for a second day to control a fire blazing at a big oil tank farm in the western province of Matanzas.

The blaze began Friday night when lightning struck a storage tank during a thunder storm, and the fire spread to a second tank early Saturday, triggering a series of explosions, officials have said.

Authorities said Sunday that a body found at the site had been identified as firefighter Juan Carlos Santana, 60. Officials previously said a group of 17 firefighters had gone missing while trying to quell flames, but there was no word if he was one of those.

A total of 122 people had been treated for injuries, including five in critical condition, officials said.

Provincial Governor Mario Sabines said Sunday that 4,946 people had been evacuated, mostly from the Dubrocq neighbourhood, which is next to the Matanzas Supertanker Base in Matanzas city. The facility’s eight huge storage tanks hold oil used to fuel electricity generation.

Dense black smoke billowed up from the tank farm and spread westward more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) to Havana. The Ministry of Science and Technology said Sunday that the cloud contained sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other toxic substances.

The disaster comes as Cuba struggles with a severe economic and energy crisis, with frequent power blackouts hitting during a torrid summer. It was unknown how much fuel had been lost to the flames.

Cuba’s government had appealed for help Saturday from oil nations, and specialised firefighting teams began arriving with their equipment from Mexico and Venezuela late Saturday.

“The support (is) in the prevention of risks and also help to quell the fire by means of cooling based on water and foam,” Mexican Brigadier General Juan Bravo said upon arrival. “We hope that more support will arrive soon, such as chemical material.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fern?ndez de Coss?o said Saturday evening that the US government had offered technical help. On his Twitter account, he said the “proposal is in the hands of specialists for the due coordination.”

Minutes later, President Miguel D?az-Canel thanked Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile for their offers of help.

By ANDREA RODR?GUEZ Associated Press

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As monkeypox cases continue to rise in several countries of the Americas, Member States of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) held a Special Session of the Directing Council on August 5, 2022 to consider a Resolution to address the outbreak, including supporting equitable access to vaccines for at-risk populations in the region.

The outbreak

According to PAHO, the Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak on July 23, 2022, which began in mid-May and has affected 89 countries across all six WHO regions, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

Around 10,000 monkeypox infections have been reported by 24 countries of the Americas since the start of the outbreak. This accounts for 36 per cent of global cases.

Recommended measures

Regarding measures recommended in connection with the outbreak, PAHO Director, Carissa Etienne said:

The PHEIC declaration came with detailed recommendations for both countries and territories who haven’t detected any cases as well as for those who already have imported cases or transmission in their communities.

We believe that when the recommended measures are appropriately implemented, we can stop transmission of the monkeypox virus.

These recommendations, which PAHO is working with Member States to implement, include communication and engagement with affected communities, early detection and surveillance, treatment and isolation of patients, and contact tracing.

However, “post- or pre-exposure vaccination might need to complement the other measures,” the Director added.

Access to the vaccine

During the session, Dr. Etienne noted that there is currently only one third-generation vaccine for monkeypox, which is produced by just one manufacturer.

While supplies of this vaccine are extremely limited, PAHO has engaged in early negotiations with its manufacturer.

In light of this, the Resolution adopted requests PAHO’s Director to facilitate a coordinated response and take steps to support Member States in obtaining access to this vaccine through the PAHO Revolving Fund. It also requests that countries of the Region of the Americas continue to recognize PAHO and its Revolving Fund as the strategic regional technical mechanism most suitable for providing equitable access to this vaccine and others.

The recommendations of PAHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases, as well as those of the Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations, convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), stipulate that countries should prioritize vaccines for specific groups, such as close contacts of a confirmed monkeypox case, in order to maximize impact considering the limited vaccine supply.

More about the Monkeypox disease

Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Symptoms include fever, intense headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle ache, and a rash that blisters and crusts. The rash tends to be concentrated on the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The mouth, genitals, and eyes may also be affected.

The symptoms can be mild or severe, and generally last for several weeks during which time a person can be infectious to others. Most people recover within a few weeks without treatment.

Monkeypox disease is reported regularly in nine countries of Central and West Africa since it was first recognized in 1958 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, since mid-May 2022, an increasing number of monkeypox cases have been reported first in multiple countries in Europe and later in other regions, including the Americas.

As of August 4, 2022, 26,326 probable and laboratory-confirmed cases were reported to the WHO from 89 countries across all six WHO regions.

(Source: PAHO)

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