14697: Schweissing: Nassau Guardian: Haitian fire victims (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Daniel Schweissing <dan_schweissing@hotmail.com>

Bahamas

The Nassau Guardian Tuesday, February 4, 2003

Overflow crowd at funeral of young fire victims


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By KHASHAN POITIER

Guardian Staff Reporter


It was an emotional and dramatic funeral at the Church of Nazarene Saturday
for two young Haitian nationals, who died in a tragic fire in their Palm
Beach Street home.


Shouting in her native Creole, their mother, Guerdo Louidor ran up and down
the aisle and stood at the pulpit, yelling to the overflow congregation at
the church.


Ms Louidor was supported by hundreds of people from the Haitian and Bahamian
community at large.


Also in attendance, were two of her other children, who live in Haiti.


Ms Louidor's children, Antonio Louidor, seven, and his five-year-old sister
Antonia died in their five-room wooden home two weeks ago. The children were
supposedly left under their father's care, while their mother was at church.
Their one-year-old infant was rescued from the blaze.


Firefighters gained access to the home through the back door. It was in the
kitchen that the two bodies were found on the floor.


The fire department has not confirmed claims that an electrical short caused
the fire. Investigations, one firefighter said, have been difficult because
the scene has been difficult to sift through.

According to sources, Ms Louidor traveled to Haiti last Friday to inform
other family members of the lost and so they could attend the funeral.


Since the death, Bahamian neighbours have opened their homes to Ms Louidor
until she "can get back on her feet," while Haitian friends have assisted
her in other areas.


At the beginning of the year, the Fire Services of the Royal Bahamas Police
Force reported that the majority of the fire deaths recorded for 2002 mainly
affected Haitian nationals.

The young Louidors are the only fire deaths for the year.






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