Mahdia dorm fire…Police confirms female student started fire, file to be sent to DPP

May 24, 2023 News

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Kaieteur News – The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Tuesday confirmed that a female student of the Mahdia Secondary School reportedly started the fire that claimed the lives of 18 girls and a 5-year-old boy. It is unclear if the girl is in Police Custody at this time.

Several of the students were interviewed in the presence of a Probation Officer, and statements were taken. The report on the fire will be sent today to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC for legal advice.

Around 23:00 hours on Sunday night, fire ravaged through the female dormitory of the secondary school. At the time of the fire, there were 57 female students in the dormitory which is a one-flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with several windows, all grilled, and with five doors.

The Police in their report said investigations so far revealed that a female student is suspected of having set the devastating fire because her cellular phone was taken away by the dorm mother, Carletta Williams, and a teacher.

A female student related to the police that they were asleep and were awakened by screams. Upon checking, they saw fire/smoke in the bathroom area, which quickly spread in the building, causing several students to receive burns to their bodies and smoke inhalation, whilst several managed to escape.

Fire fighters and public spirited persons had to break the walls of the dorm to free the girls that were trapped in the inferno.
The injured students were taken to the Mahdia District Hospital and were seen, examined and admitted by doctors. At the hospital, five of the female students were pronounced dead.

A search was carried out in the building, which was completely destroyed by the fire, and fourteen burnt remains of human beings were found.
According to the Police, the scene is presently secured and guarded by ranks as investigations continue.

The names of the children who died on Sunday are:
1. Adonijah Jerome
2. Tracil Thomas
3. Lisa Roberts
4. Delecia Edwards
5. Lorita Williams
6. Natalie Bellarmine
7. Arriana Edwards
8. Cleoma Simon
9. Subrina John
10. Martha D’Andrade
11. (and twin) Mary D’Andrade
12. Belnisa Evans
13. Loreen Evans
14. Omerfia Edwin
15. Nickleen Robinson
16. Sherena Daniels
17. Eulanda Carter
18. Andrea Roberts
19. Rita Jeffrey

Kaieteur News had reported that the 5-year-old Adonijah was the son of the dorm mother. Mayor of Mahdia, Mr. David Adams had explained that Williams has her own apartment that is attached to the female dormitory building.

“I understand when she was alerted to the fire, she rushed out of her apartment and ran to save them, leaving her son behind. It was during the chaos that her son ended up perishing in the fire,” Mr. Adams said.

Mayor Adams also said, “It was compounded by the fact that we only have one fire tender in the town ship and what made it also difficult is the fact that they had no fire hydrant in the area where the fire took place. So the fire fighters had to shuttle water from the creek to the school, where the fire was. They really tried their best, given the circumstances and what they had to work with.”
The Mayor told this publication that the students did not have any training on fire prevention measures. He also confirmed that the dormitory was not equipped with any fire extinguisher at the time of the fire.

“Going forward, we have to look at the systems that are in place for dormitory and schools, and ensuring that the necessary precautions are taken,” he added.
While the officials met with the parents and guardians of the victims, residents of Mahdia protested outside of the Mahdia Secondary School.

The protesters called for “justice” as they hold up their placards. One protester called for more fire trucks in the mining township. “Every mother weeps, every cow cry for their calf…who feels it knows it,” another protester said.

Moreover, Michael McGarrell shared several protest photos stating, “As they mourn the loss of several students from the village in the fire which occurred last night at the Mahdia Secondary School’s dormitory, residents of Chenapou are calling for justice.”

On Monday, Government Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh performed post-mortem examinations with dissections on six of the bodies: Nickleen Robinson, Natalie Bellarmine, Eulanda Carter, Subrina John, Martha D’Andrade and Adonijah Jerome at the Mahdia District Hospital’s mortuary and the cause of death was given as smoke inhalation and burns, respectively.

The Mahdia Secondary School female dormitory fire is possibly the largest mass fatality resulting from a fire in the history of Guyana. Following news of the tragedy, Guyanese flooded social media platforms expressing their condolences to the bereaved relatives of the victims. President Ali on Monday announced three days of mourning for the 19 children that perished in the fire and pledged government support to the grieving families.

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• burns, DPP, fire fighters, Mahdia dorm fire, Mahdia Secondary School, police, post-mortem, smoke inhalation, Umana Yana, vigil

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