CoI into deadly Mahdia Secondary School fire: Pres Ali greenlights 1-month extension to complete report

– Commissioners to visit site on Wednesday

By Feona Morrison

President Dr Irfaan Ali has given the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) probing the fatal fire at Mahdia Secondary School dormitory until the end of November to finish their final report and make their recommendation.

Attorney-at-Law Javed Shadick, the Secretary to the panel, made this disclosure on Monday at a news conference held at the CoI’s Middle Street, Georgetown headquarters.
It was disclosed earlier this month that the Commission’s attorney, Keoma Griffith, is gathering testimony from 29 persons, including the mother and father of the dorm, survivors, and Government representatives.
As it stands, Shadick disclosed that while the Commission was able to obtain data for each of the Terms of Reference (ToR), it is currently reviewing the evidence to see whether further data is required. Right now, none is required, he told reporters.

Shadick assured, “The CoI has started to prepare the report and has all intention of submitting the report within the timeframe given.” He reminded that the Commission was established in August and was initially given two months to complete its probe.
Additionally, the Commission plans to return to Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro Siparuni), on Wednesday in order to inspect the hospital, fire station, dormitory site, headquarters of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), and alternate water sources.

The mother of the dorm and representatives from the Fire Department are among those the Commissioners hope to meet during the site visit, according to the Secretary.
“The site visits are to answer questions and to understand what really went on on the ground [and] to see how far these places are from each other,” the Commission’s Secretary stated, emphasising the significance of the visit. A previous site visit was done last August.
The May 21, 2023 inferno killed 19 female students between the ages of 12 and 17 and a five-year-old boy, who was the son of the dorm parents.
Dead are: Tracil Thomas, Lisa Roberts, Delicia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Arriana Edwards, Cleoma Simon, Subrina John, Martha Dandrade, Loreen Evans, Belnisa Evans, Mary Dandrade, Omerfia Edwin, Nickleen Robinson, Sherina Daniels, Eulander Carter, Andrea Roberts, Bibi Rita Jeffrey, five-year-old Adanye Jerome, and Sherana Daniels.
The dormitory housed 59 students. At the time of the fire, there were 56 females and a five-year-old boy inside. The remaining students had gone home for the weekend. The dormitory’s 26 windows were heavily grilled, and the five doors were locked with keys when the fire started.
A 15-year-old student at the Mahdia Secondary School has since been slapped with 20 murder charges after Police investigations found that she had allegedly started the blaze after her cellular phone had been taken away by the dorm’s mother and a teacher. She is being kept on remand at a juvenile holding centre.
So far, several persons have already testified including the dorm’s mother and father, the officer in charge of the Guyana Fire Service in Region Eight and others.
The ToR details that the Commission will inquire into and report on everything leading up to the dormitory fire that claimed the lives of the juveniles, as well as the causes of the fire.
Among other things it is tasked to investigate and report on what actions were taken to provide care, medical attention, and support to the injured and deceased and their relatives, on time.
The Government had announced that in addition to medical and mental health support, it would provide “financial assistance” in the sum of $5M to the families of each of the children who died.
The families of the children who received injuries are expected to get $3 million each.
Also, recommendations are expected from the Commission, which will include necessary measures to prevent a reoccurrence of such tragedies.
President Ali appointed Retired Major General Joe Singh as Chairman and Attorney-at-Law Kim Kyte-Thomas and Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Derrick John as Commissioners.
According to what the Commission has heard thus far, the Mahdia Fire Station had several flaws, including a shortage of firefighting supplies that caused a delay in the firefighters’ arrival.
Furthermore, little to no action was taken even though the school dormitory had undergone an inspection only months before the incident and officials had been made aware of the defects.