Nightmare - Radio disc jockey in anguish as three sons die in blaze

Anthony 'Bones' Laing, the father of the three boys who perished in a fire in Springfield, Westmoreland, on Sunday night, said that he cannot bear the thought of having to make funeral arrangements for them when the time comes.

The boys, nine-year-old Adrianno Laing, a grade three student, and his seven-year-old twin brothers Jorden and Jayden Laing, who are in grade one, were all students at Sheffield Primary School. Their older sister Adrianna, who suffered major burns, was rescued but remains in hospital in critical condition.

At least five children have perished in fires since the start of the year. In March, Kayla, four, and Abigail, three, died after the house in which they were left caught fire at Haylesfield, Clarendon.

Data for the Survey of Social and Economic Conditions published by the Planning Institute of Jamaica show that more than 50 children have died in house fires in the past 10 years.

In the latest incident, Laing, who is a popular radio disc jockey, said that he had only left his house for a few minutes to speak to a driver who was supposed to take him on a job, when he heard a neighbour shouting that a house was on fire.

"Mi hear people a say 'fire fire', but mi never a pay that no mind because the children dem did over them family next door and I never know that them come back to the house," he said.

"Current [electricity] did gone inna the area and mi don't know what them do but mi believe seh them light candles and wi don't known what happen next."

Laing, who said that he is a single father, did back-to-school shopping on Sunday. "Only fi know seh them not even gwaan able fi go back a school," he mourned. The fire also destroyed the home.

Reports from the Westmoreland police are that the four children were left at home about 7:10 p.m. It is believed that they lit a candle inside the five-apartment dwelling because of the lack of electricity. Residents saw fire coming from the house and alerted the police. The Savanna-la-Mar Fire Department responded with two units. On their arrival, firefighters discovered the house being consumed by fire. After they managed to extinguish the blaze, the charred remains of the boys were removed from the rubble.

Danieto Ferguson, a resident who rushed to the burning house to try and save the children, said that Sunday's horror will stay with him for the rest of his life.

"I couldn't get to them. I couldn't do anything for them. I only could take out the little girl," Ferguson said, shaking his head as his voice cracked and tears welled in his eyes.

Ferguson was driving his motorcycle through the community when he saw the fire. He rushed to the burning building and could only grab the injured girl from the inferno. He did not see her brothers.

"I only heard screaming," he said. "This is going to be with me for the rest of my life, for sure."