The following is the full statement from the Berbice Bar Association on the tragic incident at Mahdia:
“ON Monday last, May 22, 2023, we all awoke to the shocking news of the fire that took place at the dormitory at the secondary school in Mahdia, and the unfortunate loss of 19 innocent lives as a result of that fire.

The executive and members of the Berbice Bar Association hereby express our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the parents, siblings, other relatives, friends, and of those who perished in the fire, and also to the entire Mahdia community at this time of immeasurable loss and grief.

While we still can yet scarcely wrap our minds around the magnitude of grief that the relatives of those who died are experiencing, we want you to know that we feel your pain and that our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. We will never forget this tragic and seemingly senseless incident.

We call on all Guyanese to join our hearts together in moments of prayers and reflection, and to forever resolve to do all that we can to make our surroundings as safe as we possibly can and to think ‘safety’ as a way of life.

We wish a speedy and complete recovery to everyone who were injured in the fire, and may the souls of those who perished rest in eternal peace.”