2 Men Risk Their Lives to Rescue Elderly Neighbour from Barrackpore Fire; He Later Dies

A Barrackpore grandfather died at the hospital after being rescued from a fire that gutted his home in the early hours of Friday. Bridgenath Heeraman, 70, also known as ‘Sookhoo’ and ‘Bill’, succumbed to his injuries about an hour after neighbours pulled him from the blaze.

Heeraman, a retired foreman from the Ministry of Works and Transport, was a father of three and grandfather of one. He lived with his two sons, but they were away in Tobago for work at the time of the incident.

According to a police report, the fire was noticed shortly before 1 a.m. Neighbours rushed over and, after breaking a glass door, found Heeraman unconscious on the living room floor. They carried him out, and an ambulance took him for medical treatment, but he could not be saved.

Residents said fire officers arrived within ten minutes of the call, but the flat, two-bedroom concrete structure was completely destroyed. At the scene on Saturday, neighbours Rinaldo Hosein, 39, and Haffize Mohammed, 34, recounted their desperate efforts. Hosein said he and another neighbour named Marina first tried the front door before breaking the glass door to reach Heeraman.

The two men risked their lives without hesitation, but despite their bravery, Heeraman died from his injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.