THE police have launched an investigation into the circumstances which led to a fire at the Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre on Monday, Press Officer Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan has confirmed.
It was alleged that a juvenile set a mattress alight in a cell in the lower flat of the facility about 18:00hrs on Monday that resulted in three males being rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where they were treated for smoke inhalation and sent away.

The police said alert ranks on duty, responding to the smell of smoke emanating from the cell, quickly extinguished the blaze. No damage was done to the facility. Housed in the compound of the Sophia Training School, the Holding Centre was commissioned in 2011 at a cost of $37.6M to provide for the detention of juveniles, who are being held pending charges, or who are on remand.