GPF investigation reveals threats were made prior to the fire
–no injuries reported, students to be temporarily housed in village hostel

HOURS after a fire ravaged a section of the St. Angela’s Girl’s Hostel, in Karasabai, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) on Thursday morning, four male teens have confessed to planning and setting the fire.

According to information provided by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), prior to the fire which occurred between 02:30hrs and 03:30hrs, four male students had threatened to set fire to the building that housed 17 female students and two dorm mothers.

Although the girls were able to exit the building unscathed, the Guyana Chronicle understands that the threats were made after the boys were chased from the premises by the caretaker. It is alleged that no security guards were stationed at the hostel at the time of the fire.
The alleged suspects were interviewed by the police in the presence of the Regional Police Commander, the Regional Education Officer and their parents when they all confessed to planning and executing the crime.

The teens will remain in police custody as the investigation continues. The building which was constructed by community members and the Catholic Church, was commissioned only a year ago to accommodate girls from six communities in the South Pakaraimas.
In an interview with this publication, Marlon Edwards, a councillor at the Regional Democratic Council and resident of Karasabai, who lives nearby the hostel, recalls hearing the horrific screams of the students.
“I live nearby to the dormitory, so we were awakened by the screams of some of [the] persons, my family and I woke up to the screams.

“We went to the scene, but by the time we got there, the fire was out of control and had taken over that entire section of the building; by then the students would have [sic] escaped,” Edwards said.
Quick action by the dorm mothers and villagers resulted in all of the occupants of the building being evacuated.
Additionally, residents used a bucket brigade and managed to contain and prevent the fire from spreading to other nearby buildings.

Following reports of the fire, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, along with other officials from the Joint Services and the Ministry of Education, formed a task force which led risk- assessment efforts in the community.
Other regional officials along with firefighters from the Lethem Fire Station were in the community to carry out investigations and ensure that the fire was completely extinguished.

Temporary housing has since been established at the village hostel; security has also been provided there. Replacement furniture, and care packages are being prepared to be sent into the village.
Just over a week ago, Guyana was plunged into mourning after a fire, which authorities have since determined was maliciously set, ravaged a secondary school’s girls’ dormitory in Mahdia, killing 19 girls and one boy, and leaving several injured.
Several of the survivors were airlifted to the capital city for emergency care. One critically injured girl was since medevacked to a New York health facility for further treatment.

Over the past few days, funerals were held for those who perished in the devastating blaze.
Meanwhile, a 15-year-old student was remanded to a juvenile facility on 19 counts of murder.
Guyana’s Head of State, Dr. Irfaan Ali has since promised that a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) will be established to prevent the reoccurrence of such a tragedy, since questions have been raised about the building’s safety.

IMPROVED EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Reflecting on the recent tragedy in Mahdia, Edwards said that authorities now have to revisit the construction of many buildings in the hinterland communities, especially those that house children.

“All the buildings must be properly equipped along with fire extinguishers, some smoke detectors; also, there needs to be very good security systems in place,” he said.