In the wake of this morning’s tragic house fire in Westmoreland which claimed the lives of two young boys, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has instructed the Ministry of Energy to intensify the distribution of solar lamps.

It is reported that the fire was caused by a candle.

In a statement this afternoon, Mr. Holness expressed deep sadness over the deaths of the two eight-year-old boys.

He said it pains his heart whenever he hears of children dying in house fires caused by open flame lighting.

Mr. Holness emphasized that parents and family members have a responsibility to protect their children from the dangers of open flame lighting, such as candles and lamps by ensuring adequate supervision or avoiding their use altogether.

The Prime Minister reminded that several years ago, the government began distributing solar lamps to assist families not connected to the Jamaica Public Service grid, so they would not have to rely on open flames.

In light of this recent incident, he has directed the Minister of Energy to intensify the distribution of solar lamps as part of the Energy Poverty Response.

The Ministry is also to fast-track the Solar Kit Programme, ensuring that households without electricity can access low-cost, easily deployable solar solutions.

Mr. Holness said he is committed to reducing, if not eliminating, incidents of avoidable loss of life and to helping people access an increasingly better quality of life.