11-y-o boy, 60-y-old man killed in Denham Town house fire

Two people, including an 11-year-old boy, were killed in a fire at a house in Denham Town, Kingston, early Tuesday morning.

They have been identified as 11-year-old Jaydon Whyte and 60-year-old Junior Barrett.

A resident told The Gleaner that sometime after midnight, smoke was seen coming from a house along Nelson Street in the community, and persons went to investigate.

They discovered a house on fire and tried to help the occupants.

The Jamaica Fire Brigade was alerted to the blaze at approximately 12:50 a.m. and, along with members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), responded to the scene.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and carried out cooling-down operations, during which the charred remains of the two persons were found.

The remains were removed to the morgue pending a post-mortem examination.

Residents of the community, who were left grieving following the deaths, said they tried desperately to assist in extinguishing the blaze and determine whether anyone was trapped inside the house.

Shane Parnther, who was among those who attempted to help, said residents kicked in a window and door as they tried to gain access to the building.

“We try our best fi put the fire. We go up there, kick off the window and door. We ah look fi see any ah the occupants of the house. The heat cave in pon we and the smoke so we had to come back down,” said Parnther.

“It sad. Mi feel a way say we never get fi save them but we never know. We think dem did come out, if we did know dem up there same way maybe we woulda try harder,” he continued.

The incident is being investigated.

- Tiffany Pryce

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