From St Lucia News Online

DNO – Eighteen families have lost everything and a total of 60 people have been directly affected in a massive fire that swept through a section of Silver Lake on Monday night.

No one was injured and MP for the area, Josh Francis is now appealing to all Dominicans to assist those who have been affected by the blaze.

“What I have gathered in terms of people affected, it would appear that we have at least 6o people who were directly affected,” he told DNO on Tuesday morning. “We are looking at two long houses, each had a total of nine families, so you are looking at 18 families.”

He said among those who have become homeless are a significant amount of children.

“To me, they are in serious and urgent need,” he stated.

To make the matter even more urgent, Francis said the families of many of those affected are in Guadeloupe and have no one to turn to.

“So unlike some fire victim who can run to a neighbour, run by a friend, there are many of them who do not have the luxury and that privilege,” he said.

Urgent priorities include finding a place for those affected to sleep at, raising funds and finding clothes, food and other basic necessities.

IMAGE: Silver Lake, Dominica fire

For more on this story go to: http://www.stlucianewsonline.com/caribbean-18-families-homeless-after-massive-fire-in-dominica/