A large fire killed a 14-year-old girl and injured her older brother after it tore through their home in Spanish Town, St Catherine. Officials reported that the teen, Gabriella Wright, died at the scene, and her brother remains in critical condition at the hospital.
The fire broke out at a large five-bedroom house in the community of St. John’s Garden on Wednesday afternoon. Emergency responders were alerted to the blaze shortly before 5:00 p.m. In response, firefighters were quickly dispatched to the location.
By the time the unit reached the location, the dwelling was already fully ablaze, with flames rapidly consuming the structure. Despite efforts to contain the fire, the building was extensively damaged.
Authorities reported that Gabriella’s older brother had already been taken to the hospital before fire units arrived. According to the Jamaica Gleaner, Divisional Commander for St Catherine, Superintendent Dennis Lyons, the Divisional Commander for St. Catherine told the media, “A five-bedroom dwelling house was engulfed in fire… Investigations at the time revealed that one person was already injured and transported to hospital.”
He somehow made it out of the burning structure, but he suffered severe burns covering 80 per cent of his body. He remains hospitalised in serious condition as doctors continue to monitor his status.
At the scene, firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control. Afterwards, they began cooling-down operations and searched the property. It was during this phase that the burnt body of the teenage girl was discovered inside one of the rooms towards the back of the house.
The circumstances leading up to the fire are still unclear. Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the blaze. A probe is now underway to establish how the incident unfolded.
In the aftermath, the quiet St. Catherine community has been left shaken by the sudden loss and the severity of the incident. Residents have been trying to come to terms with what happened as word of the tragedy spread throughout the area.
