International student killed in Sydney house fire

An international student died in a house fire in Sydney, N.S., on Saturday, according to the president of Cape Breton University Students' Union.

Fire officials have not yet confirmed the victim's identity.

CBU's Damanpreet Singh said he visited the scene after the fire and was shocked to discover the victim was a student  at the university. He was well liked, said Singh.

"He was studying his post-baccalaureate in business analytics. He came here to Sydney in September 2021. He worked in daycare services.... He was really, really a good person," Singh said.

There were eight international students living in the house, said Singh, who met with the seven other roommates after the fire.

Firefighters responded to a call about a garbage fire at 222 Park St. at around 3:10 p.m on Saturday, according to Chris March, the deputy fire chief of the Cape Breton Regional Fire Service.

Cape Breton Regional Police and the fire marshal were notified, March said, and the fire is under investigation.

"There was heavy smoke conditions and fire before they even exited the truck, so they know they had a working structure fire," March said. 

Firefighters conducted a search of the building and found one person dead. March said he could provide no information about the victim.

According to Singh, the seven students are receiving clothing and food donations from the students' union. Singh said Sydney's community has also been helpful with donations and support. 

The students were all in shock when Singh arrived on the scene. 

"They just met with him in the morning, and in the evening, this thing has happened. So, they were not able to talk properly at the moment when I went there to meet with them," Singh said.

According to Singh, the student was from southern India. Singh, who is from northern India, said that as an international student himself, the tragedy is heartbreaking. 

"We are here very far from our families, we sometimes feel homesickness here," Singh said. "The death of a young man is a tragedy for our international community because we have a lot of dreams here in our eyes.... We want to shine the name of our parents here and shine the name of our families, too."

He said the death weighs heavily on CBU's student body and that the students' union sends its condolences to his family and is willing to help in any way they can. 

March believes a neighbour called the fire department and that there was significant damage to the property. No one else was injured in the blaze and no neighbouring properties were damaged, according to March.

Firefighters are concerned about the victim's family and friends, said March, "and of course for our first responders who encountered that."

March said that although the cause of the fire has not yet been identified, it's a brutal reminder about fire risks at this time of year.

"Make sure that people are practicing safe behaviours when cooking and when decorating for Christmas. And make sure you have a working smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide detector in your home if you have a flame source. And just exercise caution, especially during the holidays," he said.