Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — A man using a makeshift palapa for shelter died Saturday morning in a fire. Solidaridad firemen were at Turquesa Street in the Nuevo Noh-Bec neighborhood early Saturday in response to reports of the fire.
The makeshift shelter consisted of several pieces of sheet metal for walls and a grass roof. According to available information, the man was burning a candle while sleeping when it fell and started to burn.
Flames quickly spread to include the grass roof. By the time firemen arrived, the tiny dwelling had completely burned. The charred body of the male occupant was located in the debris.
Neighbors knew of the man, who they reported lived on the streets but used the small area for shelter from time to time.
In a note, the Secretaría de Protección Civil y Bomberos de Solidaridad reported “during the early hours of today, firefighters responded to a fire in a house in Nuevo Noh Bec. After extinguishing the flames and inspecting the property, they found the lifeless body of a person. Following protocol, they notified the corresponding authorities and cordoned off the area for safety.”
