ST MARY, Jamaica – A 93-year-old man is in hospital nursing burns to nearly half his body after a fire at his home on Monday.

The elderly man, Aldred “Maas Dan” Cormack of Jeffery Town in St Mary, was said to be at home around 5pm when fire was seen at the side of the house. An alarm was made and residents went inside to rescue the occupants of the home including the senior citizen who reportedly suffered burns to 45 per cent of his body.

It is alleged that the elderly man’s 44-year-old mentally-ill daughter was at home, at a different section of the five-bedroom concrete house, at the time of the incident. The fire was allegedly started in the daughter’s room and quickly spread to other sections of the house. However, investigations by the Jamaica Fire Brigade are yet to determine the cause of the blaze.

Residents alleged that the daughter has caused fires at the house prior to this incident. However, this was the first it had reached a critical damage, they said.

The St Mary police further stated that they will be seeking assistance for the daughter through the St Mary mental health department.

The Gayle police are investigating.