Juveniles set mattress on fire at Sophia Holding Centre

Three detainees of Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre were on Monday evening rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after setting a mattress on fire in an act of rebellion.
According to reports reaching Guyana Times, the three inmates had tampered with a light switch at the facility and used the wire to ignite a fire on tissues which they then used to set the mattress ablaze.
The trio allegedly moved the burning mattress into the hallway so as to prevent access by any rescue party.
The authorities received a report about 18:00h that evening and responded promptly.

Further reports revealed that at the time of the arrival of the Fire Services, the blaze had already been extinguished by a lone police officer present at the scene. The swift action by the officer prevented any major damage to the facility.
Nevertheless, six detainees of the Centre were reportedly affected by the fire.
The suspected trio had to be medically evacuated as a result of smoke inhalation and after receiving treatment at the Hospital, they were discharged Tuesday evening.
Details as to what exactly prompted the juveniles to initiate the fire remain unclear as investigations continue.
The Juvenile Holding Centre at Sophia was commissioned in 2011 as a detention facility for juveniles, separate from the adult prisons.
Only last year three male juveniles escaped from the Centre; however, they were subsequently captured and detained.