The Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Mahdia dormitory fire which claimed the lives of 20 children will hold its first sitting today at 2 pm at 95 Middle Street, Georgetown.
The Terms of Reference (TOR) published on August 15th, 2023 mandates the newly appointed commissioners to: (1) inquire and report on the events and circumstances leading up to and causes of the Mahdia dorm fire on the night of May 20th, 2023. (2) inquire into and report upon the actions taken to provide swift care, medical attention and other forms of support and aid to families of the injured and deceased victims and (3) make recommendations and observations as may be deemed fit which includes measures and actions that the commission may consider necessary to prevent recurrences of such tragedy.
In the days after the fire, it became known that the Mahdia fire service had made recommendations twice for protective grills on the dorm to be removed to no avail. It was also later learnt that a report commissioned by the Ministry of Education to assess dorms had found that fire safety measures were absent at the Mahdia Secondary School girls’ dorm. That report was available in May, 2022.
President Irfaan Ali on August 10 appointed Major General (retired) Joseph Singh, who will chair the inquiry, and attorney at law Dr. Kim Kyte-Thomas and National Toshaos Commission Chairman Derrick John who took their oaths before Chief Magistrate (ag) Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus
According to the ToR, the Commission will render its report, findings and recommendations to the President in writing within two months or within such other time as may be directed by the President, and conduct the inquiry continually at Georgetown and Mahdia or in any such other places as determined by the Commission.
The May 20 fire claimed the lives of Sherana Daniels, twin sisters Mary and Martha Dandrade, Bibi Rita Jeffrey, Sabrina John, Loreen Evans, Belnisa Evans, Omefia Edwin, Natalie Bellarmine, Andrea Roberts, Lorita Williams, Nickleen Robinson, Sherena Daniels, Eulanda Carter, Lisa Roberts, Cleoma Simon, Tracil Thomas, and sisters Delecia Edwards and Arianna Edwards along with five-year-old Adonijah Jerome, the son of the caretaker. A number of them hailed from villages outside of Mahdia.
