For the first half of 2023, at least 29 persons have lost their lives to fire but while all are devastating, the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory has topped the list with 20.
These incidents have undoubtedly left some families grieving the loss of their loved ones while some are still grappling with the thought of not seeing that special person ever again.
These deadly fires have emotionally affected the families while also leaving them with more questions than answers. Some are leaning towards the Almighty for strength so that their lives can return to some form of normalcy.
These devastations occurred throughout the country, thus leaving a trail of destruction and uncertainty. Guyana Times in this article compiled the deadly fires over the past seven months with the first being on January 28, 2023, at South Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD), which resulted in the death of eight-year-old Jermaine Johnson.
It was reported that a house occupied by the Johnson family was engulfed in flames as they slept. While some family members managed to escape the blaze, the lad and his grandmother who had turned back to rescue him were severely burnt.
Three-year-old Shameena Hardat and nine-year-old Animika Hardat
They both were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they were immediately admitted but a few days later, the lad succumbed to his injuries. The Guyana Fire Service (GFS), after its preliminary investigations, reported that the fire was electrical in nature. In fact, it was a fan that overheated and started the fire.
Then on February 12, a businessman, Rajendra Mohabir, 60, popularly known as “Slowie” was killed after going back into his burning house at Seventh Street, Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara (WCD), to save his grandchild he believed were trapped in the inferno.
The child, however, had already escaped to safety. Before family members could have stopped Mohabir, he had already entered the burning building and later became trapped in the flames. His charred remains were later found.
The two-storey building housed a grocery store and church on the bottom flat.
On March 20, a fire at Third Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara, claimed the life of 45-year-old Kevin Trotman while leaving 13 other occupants homeless. The deadly fire destroyed two houses. It was reported that Trotman was trapped in one of these houses.
The fire might have been caused by a child playing with matches which ignited a foam mattress and spread to the entire building.
However, it was after the blaze that the relatives of Trotman realised that he was missing. As such, they went back to the fire scene, and their worst fears were confirmed.
Back on May 21, the most devastating fire to have been recorded in Guyana ripped through the female dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) thus leaving 19 female students between the ages of 12 to 17 and a five-year-old boy dead.
The dead have identified as Nicholeen Robinson, Martha D’Andrade, Shorline Bellarmine, Eulanda Carter, Adonijah Jerome, Subrina John, Cleoma Simon, Tracil Thomas, Andrea Roberts, Lisa Roberts, Rita Jeffery, Loreen Evans, Delicia Edwards, Belnisa Evans, Lorita Williams, Mary D’Andrade, Omefa Evans, Sherena Daniels, Natalie Bellarmine, and Arianna Edwards.
This fire, unlike others, was purposely set by a 15-year-old female student of the said institution following the confiscation of her mobile phone by school officials. The teen had threatened to cause chaos but her threats were not heeded.
On that sad Sunday evening, she reportedly went into the bathroom and started the fire after which, she ran out of the building leaving her peers behind. Little did she know her mistake would leave 20 young children dead and family members in disarray.
She was later slapped with 19 murder charges and was remanded to prison. Upon her second court appearance later this month, another murder charge will be read to her.
However, the deadly infernos continued to create havoc – this time at Herstelling Sea Dam on the East Bank of Demerara (ECD) which resulted in the death of 58-year-old Sundar Nandkishore.
He reportedly lived alone but more tragically; he was bedridden. Although diabetic, he was a heavy smoker and from all indications, the fire would have started from a lit cigarette. Family members who live close by reportedly saw smoke emanating from the man’s house but by the time they rushed to the scene, the wood structure was already engulfed.
The badly burnt body of Nandkishore was found on his bed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Then, just after midday of June 7, three-year-old Shameena Hardat and her nine-year-old sister, Animika Hardat, who was differently-abled, were burnt to death after a fire ripped through their home at Belmont, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
In this case, the children were left unattended at home as the mother went to run some errands in Georgetown. Although there were adults in different apartments of the said building, they could have only stood at the scene and listened to the screams of the two girls emanating from the building.
The children were reportedly locked inside the apartment thus leaving no chances of anyone getting to them. Many have blamed the mother for the unfortunate incident but in defence, the mother stated it was not the first time she had locked the children and went about her business.
Meanwhile, the most recent deadly fire occurred on Friday at Drysdale Street Charlestown, Georgetown, which resulted in the death of 40-year-old Michael Richards and his two children – six-year-old Somaya Richards and four-year-old Supreme Richards.
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is yet to pronounce on the cause of the fire but based on reports gathered, it might have been electrical in origin. It was reported that the charred remains of Richards were found next to the main entrance of his apartment which is on the lower flat of the building while the remains of his two children were found in their bedroom.
Upon realising that the building was on fire, the occupants of the upper flat made their way to safety but Richards and his children were burnt to death by the raging fire which swept through the house.
In the wake of these devastating fires, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has reminded the public to pay attention to fire prevention.
In addition, the GFS stated that it continues to address the urgent need for improved safety measures and fire prevention strategies but one has to ask, is this enough and more so, is it conducting adequate sensitisation to educate the public on fire safety?
