Four adullts and three children were left homeless on Monday night after fire destroyed their home in Union, Balaclava, St Elizabeth. Reports are that sometime after 9 p.m., the occupants of the house were alerted to fire coming from sections of the building.

The fire brigade was notified and a unit from the Santa Cruz Fire Station responded, but they were unable to save the building.

It is reported that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. The loss was valued at approximately $16 million; the building was not insured.