Eight soldiers were injured, including three who suffered severe burns, following an explosion of fireworks at the Coast Guard Headquarters, at Ruimveldt yesterday afternoon.
The explosion occurred while the soldiers were offloading the fireworks from a truck as they were making preparations for last evening’s planned fireworks display in observation of the country’s 50th republic anniversary.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF), in a statement issued yesterday, confirmed the incident, which occurred around 1.30 pm. GDF Chief-of-Staff Brigadier Patrick West, it noted, has since ordered a Board of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the explosion. The incident also resulted in the cancellation of the annual midnight fireworks display, which had been planned for the Stabroek Square.
The injured were identified to Sunday Stabroek as Seon Rose, Terrence Neil, Trevor Joseph, Gordon Cornette, Atto Cort, Victor Low, Delroy Baird and Isaiah Gordon.
Rose, who suffered burns to about 90% of his body, was listed as the most critical.
The injured are all members of the army’s 21 Artillery Company, which is responsible for the handling of fireworks.
The GDF statement said four of the men were being treated for burns, while the others sustained minor injuries and shock following a “spontaneous combustion,” which occurred during the preparations for the fireworks display.
The Guyana Fire Service was immediately notified.
The GDF said that all of the ranks of the company were accounted for and the eight who were injured was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Medical Officer of the GDF Major Nigel Langhorne was said to be working along with doctors to ensure that the troops received the best treatment and care. Langhorne told the media that one of the injured ranks was deemed particularly critical, while two others who were similarly listed were expected to be manageable.
The army’s Welfare Department, he noted, would also be working along with the injured ranks.
Unexpected
President David Granger and West visited the scene and the hospital, where they checked on the injured ranks and met with the members of their families.
Granger described the incident as “unexpected,” while referencing the level of training and professionalism of the injured ranks.
“It is something which is completely unexpected particularly because of the level of training and professionalism of the soldiers who were involved…These are experts. These are some people who have done fireworks overseas. When Barbados had their 50th Anniversary of Independence in 2016, some of the very persons involved went to Barbados. So these are not untrained. These are expert people who have been doing this over and over again,” he explained.
According to him, he was informed that the explosion occurred as the explosives were being loaded on to barges. “…And something obviously went wrong. One bomb. And it might have triggered a chain effect. So it is not as though there was any sort of carelessness. It might have been some fault with one bomb and it affected another bomb,” Granger told reporters.
He said it is customary for the army to employ the “best safety” measures to ensure that the lives of the soldiers are not jeopardised
“…Right now the Chief Fire Officer and the Chief of Staff are both going to conduct an investigation to find out what happened,” he added.
West told reporters that rehearsals were only done around 10.22pm on Friday and there were no issues. He confirmed that he has ordered a Board of Inquiry in an effort to determine what occurred and what measures could be taken to ensure that there is no recurrence.
‘Loud explosions’
At the scene, residents recalled hearing “loud” explosions. For some, it sounded like gunshots, while others thought a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) transformer had exploded.
One woman, who wished not to be named, said she was sitting at her workplace which is situated in close proximity to the Coast Guard headquarters when she heard the explosion. A short while after, she said she saw an army vehicle speed pass. It was loaded with the injured ranks, whose injuries were visible.
“…It go ‘Boom! ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!’ Like flares. And then after the soldiers them start coming out. You did seeing smoke in the sky. A big smoke. We think is transformer. Then I see the vehicle pass with a set of them wah get burn, from they waist go down. Some get burn in they back. Some lay down flat. I ain’t know wah happen but I hear ‘boom’ and I just left work and come. Who ain’t get burn in they back, sit down. You could see the burns, you know that bubbles that does come and then some of them whites, the whole entire bottom white,” the woman said.
Rolex Taylor, who lives nearby, said he was on his stairs having a conversation with a relative when they heard the explosion.
“First of all we thought it was a transformer but then it wasn’t no transformer or no lightning. It go mussy about five to eight seconds, it mussy last for and we saw all the soldiers then running towards the riverside,” Taylor recalled.
He said one of the soldiers was “flung” a distance and he ran back into the compound. “His whole arm and back was burnt,” Taylor said.
When Stabroek News visited the scene yesterday afternoon, there was a build-up in traffic in and out of the compound. As the news of the incident spread, some relatives of ranks who are stationed at the headquarters even showed up in an effort to determine if their relatives were safe.
The smoke from the explosion was visible to persons travelling on the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
Meanwhile, when Sunday Stabroek visited the hospital yesterday, family members of the injured ranks had gathered outside of the doors of the Accident and Emergency Unit as they awaited word about their respective conditions.
Among them was Rose’s wife, who broke down into tears as she received the information about his injuries. The young woman and her mother-in-law were both eventually given wheel-chairs as neither woman could stand after receiving the news.
The wife of another ranks was being consoled by other relatives.
Other family members and friends who arrived at the hospital consoled them and each other. Some members of the force, who were immediately informed about the events, also showed their respect for their colleagues by visiting and staying outside with the families. (Additional reporting by Lazeena Yearwood)
