By Kimone Witter
The community of Denham Town is mourning after an early morning fire on North Street claimed the lives of a child and a senior citizen.
The victims have been identified as 11-year-old Jaydon Whyte and 60-year-old Junior Barrett.
According to reports, shortly after midnight, the Denham Town Police were alerted to a building being on fire.
Firefighters from three stations responded and extinguished the blaze.
However, the first floor of the building, which had four bedrooms, was destroyed. The ground floor, which contained three shops, remains intact.
Fire fighters say the charred remains of the two victims were found during cooling-down operations.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The loss is estimated at $15 million.
Six adults and one child have been left homeless.
Member of Parliament for West Kingston, Desmond McKenzie, said Jaydon died a day shy of his 12th birthday.
He was a student at Denham Town High school.
Mr. McKenzie said the Ministry of Labour and Social Security will be providing support to the affected residents.
“Minister Charles is here to offer assistance through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The Social Development Commission is also here. And because they have a lot of small business operations taking place, the SDC will be looking as to how they can assist persons who have been affected who operate legitimate business,” he disclosed.