Fire destroys sections of Lusignan Prison

Jul 13, 2020 News

– No deaths, no escapees, 15 injured

A fire yesterday destroyed sections of the Lusignan Prison after it was said to be a form of retaliation.
Reports were that narcotics, cellphones and forms of contraband were found by an investigative team during cell sweeps and subsequently tensions broke out between prison officers and inmates. An explosion was heard moments later and the fire erupted. The fire caused damage mainly to the administrative building and an old building that was formerly used to house inmates. The fire was said to have spread quickly due to the old, wooden buildings in the compound. The fire service was able to extinguish the fire before it got to the prison.
Army choppers were seen circling the area and this publication later learnt that the Guyana Defence Force was assisting in ensuring that there were no potential escapees. The Joint Services Protocol was implemented and the authorities were able to contain the rioting prisoners. Most of the inmates were escorted to nearby facilities.
Additionally, 15 prisoners were injured during the ruckus yesterday but most of them were treated by on site paramedics as the injuries were minor. Two of the injured prisoners were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and were admitted to the Emergency Ward. One of the inmates sustained burns to the shoulder and arms while the other sustained injuries to the abdomen following an assault. There were no deaths reported.
Families of prisoners were also at the scene, some with clothes and food and others expressing alarm about the welfare of their relatives. Reliable sources told Kaieteur News that there were high profile prisoners who were burnt but due to safety concerns, they would be transferred to GPHC at a later time yesterday.

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