Residents and family members wept openly on Prince of Wales Street and other sections of Allman Town, central Kingston, last night, after fire claimed the life of three-year-old Desaun James in the community.

Reports are that the fire started at 25 Prince of Wales Street some time after 6 p.m. and razed the 10-apartment tenement structure, displacing some 16 children and 20 adults.

Superintendent Lansford Williams of the Kingston and St Andrew Fire Department said they received the call at 6:30 p.m. and responded with five units from the York Park, Rollington Town and Trench Town fire stations.

The fire chief confirmed the death of the youngster, stating that his body was discovered among the rubble after the blaze was extinguished.

An attempt to speak with the mother of the deceased was unsuccessful. The only comments she made was that the child was her "baby", while hugging two other children who cried that they wanted their brother back.

One resident said that the situation could have been worse as an 11-year-old boy who she knew as a brother of Desaun wanted to rescue the child from the burning house.

"When him hear dat the fire a gwaan him run come ya an a bawl out 'mi bredda in deh a dead, mi bredda in deh a dead'," the woman said. "Mi affi hol him tight an bring across the street cuz mi neva waan him run go in there and go burn up to."

Other residents looked on in dismay, questioning if the little boy was crying for help and whether anyone heard or even tried to rescue him from the ordeal.

Superintendent Williams said the cause of the fire is unknown. however, speculations on the ground are that the deceased may have been playing with matches, a claim that is yet to be verified. He said that loss is estimated at $3.5 million. The property was not insured.