Investigators and government employees inspect the school dormitory where a fire killed at least 19 people in Mahdi
‘Pain, agony, trauma’
Around 50 relatives and friends of the victims demonstrated on Monday in Chenapau, a village close to Mahdia that is home to many of the school’s pupils.
“The sheer pain, the agony, the trauma,” Michael McGarrell, who lost two nieces in the blaze, told AFP by telephone. “Who will be held responsible?”
Protesters held up banners demanding justice and compensation, and criticizing the fact that the dormitory had barred windows.
“Why are school children grilled up in death traps? What are we going to tell the parents?” said McGarrell, an activist with the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) that is often at odds with the government over land rights.
“Firefighters did manage to rescue some 20 students by breaking holes in the north-eastern wall of the building,” the fire service said.
Relatives and friends of the victims of the deadly school fire
Private and military planes have been sent to Mahdia, located about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Georgetown, as the region is affected by heavy rains.
At least one plane with three evacuees arrived back in Georgetown, according to an AFP journalist.
The government said officials were supporting efforts at Ogle airport in the capital to “receive the critical patients and coordinate an emergency plan of action.”
“A full-scale medical emergency action plan has been launched,” it added.
Natasha Singh-Lewis, an opposition MP, called for an investigation into the fire’s cause.
“We need to understand how this most horrific and deadly incident occurred and take all necessary measures to prevent such a tragedy from happening again,” she said.
Among the poorest nations in South America, Guyana hopes the discovery of oil will help spur development. The country also boasts the second-highest percentage of forest cover on earth.
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Publish date : 2023-05-23 03:00:00
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