team to visit community tomorrow

THE Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the devastating dormitory fire at Mahdia that claimed the lives of 20 children has been given a one-month extension by President Dr. Irfaan Ali.
This announcement was made by the CoI’s Secretary, Javed Shadick, during a media briefing on Monday.
The CoI’s Terms of Reference (ToR) stipulate that the inquiry will span up to two months, with the possibility of being extended by the President, if deemed necessary.
The CoI is chaired by retired Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Major General Joe Singh, and includes Chairman of the National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) Mr. Derrick John, and Attorney-at-law Ms. Kim Kyte-Thomas.

Shadick told reporters that the CoI’s chairman wrote to the President requesting the one-month extension, which was granted. As a result, the inquiry will run until mid-November.
He also explained that the CoI, after reviewing the evidence, decided to return to the Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) community on Wednesday for a site visit to inspect the fire station, dormitory, hospital, Regional Democratic Council (RDC) office and the water supply source.

“Other than that, the Commission has started to prepare their report, and have all intentions of submitting in the [new] timeframe given,” Shadick said.
Following the visit tomorrow, the CoI’s counsel, Keoma Griffith, is expected to lay over his submissions.

During the public hearings, 29 witnesses testified, including the facility’s Dorm Mother and Father, senior fire officials, among others.
The CoI had heard the emotional testimony from Steve Jerome, the ‘Dorm Father’ who rescued some of the survivors but lost his son in the blaze.
Jerome’s 10-year-old daughter was residing in the female dormitory along with her five-year-old brother, whose mother, Carlette Williams was the ‘Dorm Mother’.
Jerome had broken down in tears during his testimony as he recalled battling flames to save the girls’ lives and losing his son in the process.
On May 22, the country was plunged into mourning after a fire that authorities said was maliciously set, ravaged a secondary school’s girls’ dormitory in Mahdia.
At the time of the fire, 56 of the girls were present, as three had gone home to their families for the weekend.

The children housed at the ‘dorms’ came from the communities of Karisparu, El Paso, Micobie, and Chenapao.
Initially, 18 girls from the ‘dorm’ and the five-year-old son of the ‘Dorm Mother and Father’, perished in the fire, but another student who was injured in the fire, passed away a few days later.

Several of the survivors were airlifted to Georgetown for emergency care. One critically injured girl was medevacked to a New York health facility for further treatment. She has since returned after a successful round of treatment.

The CoI’s ToRs outlines that the Commission will investigate and report on the events leading up to the dormitory fire, as well as the fire’s causes.
Additionally, the CoI will examine the actions taken to provide care, medical attention, and support to the injured and deceased and their relatives in a timely manner. The Commission is also expected to make recommendations for necessary measures to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.