–          to honour Mahdia tragedy victims

IN an effort to pay tribute to the 20 young lives lost in the tragic Mahdia School Dorms fire of 2023, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, has recommended the establishment of a Fire Victims Awareness Day.

Minister Benn, in his presentation on the 2024 National Budget on Tuesday, initiated his proposal by recounting the heart-rending incidents related to the Mahdia fire, which resulted in the untimely demise of 20 young individuals.

The Minister said that the victims, who are from Guyana’s indigenous community, faced an untimely demise in a fire that cast a shadow of sorrow over the nation.

“I want to propose that we have, in remembrance of the day of the Mahdia fire, at all fire stations and at the Ministry, a Fire Victims Awareness Day,” Benn announced.

The explanation outlined a proposal to establish a day devoted to reflection and remembrance, incorporating the exhibition of photographs depicting the young victims and the laying of flowers to honor their memory.

The Minister emphasised the significance of commemorating the victims of Mahdia, particularly in recognising the sorrow and anguish experienced by the affected families and communities.

He highlighted the objective of the proposed Fire Victims Awareness Day, which seeks to signify national unity and remembrance, promoting a sense of communal support and empathy amidst challenging circumstances.

“I want to applaud the work of the Guyana Fire Service. There is so much that you could do,” Minister Benn expressed, highlighting the courage and dedication of the firefighters who responded to the Mahdia incident and continue to serve the nation.

Against this backdrop, he said that the proposal extends beyond remembrance, since it serves as a platform to raise awareness about fire safety and prevention.

By commemorating the Mahdia tragedy, Minister Benn envisions an annual event that not only pays respects to the victims but also educates the public on the importance of fire safety measures.

“We have to continue to carry the message of greater fire awareness,” stated Minister Benn, signaling the need for increased public understanding of the devastating impact fires can have and the importance of taking preventive measures.

The Minister also addressed the aftermath of the fire incident, citing a presidential commission of inquiry and increased funding for the Guyana Fire Service.

In spite of these measures, the opposition maintained their criticism, contending that the budget does not adequately tackle the underlying causes of such incidents.

However, the Minister stated with certainty that fire prevention measures and substantial updates are under consideration in the budget for 2024. In the current fiscal year’s budget, a total of $90.6 billion was designated for the security sector, with $6.5 billion specifically allocated to the Fire Service.

According to Benn, the projects this year included the construction and restoration of fire stations, acquisition of advanced fire-fighting equipment, and initiatives to strengthen emergency medical services.

The finding into the COI report was handed over to President Dr. Irfaan Ali last week by the CoI chairman, retired Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Major-General Joe Singh, who was accompanied by fellow commissioners, Chairman of the National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) Derrick John, and Attorney-at-law Kim Kyte-Thomas.

Upon receiving the report, President Ali mentioned plans for a proper memorial in remembrance of the lives lost in the tragic incident. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, will engage with the Private Sector Commission to pool resources for the memorial.

“We have commissioned various artists to come up with a representation of what this memorial should be… Because the memorial of this nature is one that is very important,” he said.

The findings of COI had revealed that the deadly Mahdia dormitory fire in 2023 was due to several factors, especially the “grave neglect” of the facility under the APNU+AFC government.

Notwithstanding, it was also determined that the events and circumstances leading up to the causes of the fire were “an unfortunate outcome of several factors”.

The factors outlined in the report include the influence of the mining culture on social relationships, the vulnerability of youth, especially teenage females, and the negligence of officials regarding fire readiness.

The Committee of Inquiry (CoI) identified deficiencies in the fire prevention measures of the dormitory. It is important to note that even a more well-equipped facility may not have changed the tragic outcome, considering the cause of the fire.

During the public hearings, 29 witnesses testified, including the facility’s dorm mother and father, and senior fire officials, among others.

On May 22, 2023, the country was plunged into mourning after a fire that authorities said was maliciously set, ravaged a secondary school 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 Chenapau.

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.

Airlift operations were conducted to transfer several survivors to Georgetown for emergency medical care. A young girl with critical injuries was transported by medical evacuation to a healthcare facility in New York for additional treatment. Following a successful round of treatment, she has now returned.