ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — Member of Parliament (MP) for St Catherine East Central, Alando Terrelonge, has expressed profound sorrow over the deaths of 10-year-old Dion Bell and his five-year-old brother, Jausha Bell, who perished in a house fire on Monday, pledging support for their grieving family.

In a statement on Tuesday, Terrelonge said the incident has plunged the Gregory Park community into mourning.

“No family should ever have to endure the agonising pain of losing children under such catastrophic and unfortunate circumstances. The loss of these two young souls, one of whom is believed to have been autistic, has cast a dark shadow of sorrow over the entire community and our nation,” he said.

The MP said the Government’s thoughts and prayers are with the boys’ mother, who remains hospitalised as she battles to recover, as well as their father and surviving sibling, who are grappling with the devastating loss.

According to Terrelonge, reports indicate that the fire spread at a “terrifying speed”, overwhelming the desperate efforts of residents who attempted to extinguish the blaze.

Having visited the scene alongside Divisional Councillor Joy Brown, Terrelonge said he witnessed first-hand the destruction left in the fire’s wake.

READ: Brothers, aged 5 and 10, die in Portmore house fire

“We are actively mobilising emergency support, grief counselling and relief services for the surviving family members. Furthermore, I will be speaking with the Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, to secure urgent social and housing assistance for the family,” he said.

Terrelonge also commended the firefighters and other first responders who attended the scene, as investigations continue into the cause of the blaze.

“We express our deep gratitude to the first responders from the Waterford Fire Station and the Jamaica Fire Brigade who are currently working to investigate and determine the root cause of this fire,” he said.

He further appealed to residents of Gregory Park and the wider constituency to rally around the bereaved family.

“I urge everyone in Gregory Park and across the constituency to wrap this family in comfort, love, and community support in the difficult days ahead,” Terrelonge added.