The Tribune

A MAN’S body was found after firefighters extinguished a structural fire on Friday night.

Police said around 9.27pm, the Fire Department was alerted to a structural fire on Berkley Street in Ridgeland Park West. Officers responded and moments later they arrived at a two-storey stone structure that was engulfed in flames.

After the flames were eventually extinguished, the officers conducted a search of the interior of the building and discovered the unresponsive body of a male, crouched in a bathtub on the top floor. Emergency Medical Services visited the scene and pronounced the body lifeless.

Investigations into this matter continue.

Meanwhile, an unrelated fire at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) on Friday night was quickly contained resulting in no injuries to patients and minimal structural damage.

In a statement, health officials said two staff members who assisted in bringing the blaze under control were treated at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) for smoke inhalation and discharged.

The fire started around 10.35pm on Friday in the gazebo known as “the Grill Pit” of the Child and Adolescent and Robert Smith (CARS) compound. The fire was extinguished with the help of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Fire Department.

Acting hospital administrator Jessica Cartwright credited staff at the institution who she said quickly activated SRC’s fire response plan to guard patient and staff safety; this included the evacuation of patients and staff from the building.

The CARS complex is comprised of the Child and Adolescent Unit which houses 11 patients and the Robert Smith Unit which houses 39 patients. The Grill Pit, which is a standalone structure, is located at the rear of the CARS compound.