Police to charge teen over Mahdia dorm fire

The Office of Director of Public Prosecutions has advised that charges be instituted against the teenager who allegedly set the fire that destroyed the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory, leaving 19 children dead.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum yesterday afternoon confirmed that the police have received the necessary advice and the teen will face charges for the 19 deaths. Stabroek News understands that the teen will make a court appearance sometime this week.

The Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Corporate Communications Unit Director Mark Ramotar had said in a statement just after the fire, “Police investigations so far… reveal that a female student is suspected of having set the devastating fire because her cellular phone was taken away by the dorm mother and a teacher.”

During the investigation, he said, several of the students were interviewed in the presence of a probation officer, and statements were taken. At the time of the fire, which started at approximately 10.50 pm on Sunday May 21, 56 girls were in the dormitory.

Acting Fire Chief Dwayne Scotland had said that firefighters from the Mahdia Fire Station were summoned to the scene at around 11.15 pm on Sunday, but the four-minute drive found the building completely engulfed in flames. Scotland subsequently told the Department of Public Information (DPI), that the fire was lit in the southwestern end of the building.

“Immediately, firefighting and rescue operations were initiated. These operations would have rescued not less than 20 students. The operation continued for approximately three and a half hours after which, the fire was brought under control and subsequently extinguished,” the DPI quoted him as saying.

The 19 children who perished in the fire were identified as Nicholeen Robinson, Natalie Bellarmine, Eulanda Carter, Subrina John, Martha D’ Andrade, Adonijah Jerome, Mary D’Andrade, Bibi

Rita Jeffrey, Loreen Evans, Belnisa Evans, Omefia Edwin, Andrea Roberts, Lorita Williams, Sherena Daniels, Lisa

Roberts, Cleoma Simon, Tracil Thomas, Delecia Edwards and Arianna Edwards.