By Antonio Dey
Fire Inspector Javid Mohamed yesterday stated that the Mahdia school dormitory was likely maliciously set ablaze and there were no smoke detectors or alarms in the building based on investigations and inspections done by the GFS.
Mohamed testified that it was a herculean task for the firefighting team to quell the flames due to the fire’s magnitude. His testimony at the ongoing Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the tragic fire which claimed 20 lives revealed that the blaze was definitely not of electrical origin but was likely set maliciously.
After being informed of the fire on May 21, he and his colleagues were dispatched to Mahdia from Georgetown to conduct site inspections and investigations.
He told the commission that based on interviews conducted with students of Mahdia Secondary School, it was revealed that a female student was being disciplined for having a cellphone in her possession which breached the school’s policy. The student was instructed to hand over her phone to the headmistress but refused, Mohamed said.
Six investigators were on site assessing the situation to see if there were any exposed electrical wires but instead discovered what were deemed to be fire ignitors.
“We went back to the scene and we formed grids in the dorm, two feet by two feet grids and we thoroughly sifted through them to look for anything that may be used to start the fire.
“We did a total of 46 grids, in the course of two days and we found some objects that were taken to the forensic lab for testing. We found bits of aluminum, a nozzle belonging to a can and bits of glass and also, we found a cell phone charger that was partially burnt”, the Fire Inspector informed.
CoI Chairman retired Major General Joe Singh asked if fire-fighters were all equipped to which Mohamed responded yes, but bemoaned the fact that there were no fire hydrants nearby.
“We would use open water source with a light pump because most times the open source is located in these areas where the trucks can’t meet.”
The installed grillwork on the dorm windows, however, posed setbacks as public-spirited citizens broke the metalwork with improvised tools in their attempts to rescue the girls from the burning building.
Mohamed also confirmed that the firefighting operation led by Officer Ryan Scott arrived approximately 10-15 minutes later at the scene of the inferno after being summoned. He also informed the inquiry that the last inspection at the dormitory was conducted back in February of this year.
Meanwhile, Dr Shilindra Rajkumar on Friday recounted that several victims from the dormitory fire sustained major and minor degree burns while one patient was in an unconscious state due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
The medical doctor, an employee of the Georgetown Public Hospital, told the CoI that on May 21 he was informed of the inferno and was instructed to immediately travel to Mahdia. “A volunteer said that she was willing to join us on the trip so we put together a team, summoned the emergency responders and prepared to depart to Mahdia.”
Rough
He was accompanied by several medical doctors who took supplies such as antibiotics, bandages, oxygenators, IV (intravenous) fluids etc. “We took dressing materials and medications like antibiotics, and other medical supplies that were needed to facilitate the medical evacuation.
“We made a rough assessment of what would be required and put together materials that we thought would be necessary in the current situation”, he said.
Rajkumar informed that several of the witnesses suffered second and third degree burns about their bodies. And in the case of the unconscious patient who suffered carbon monoxide poisoning, the witness told the CoI that this stemmed from smoke inhalation.
He lamented that nurses and doctors who were part of the medical team had to rely on minimal medical supplies while rendering assistance to the victims of the fire. However, despite the challenges encountered, the doctor said the medical team put their best foot forward. “The staff was overwhelmed but despite the chaos and confusion that night we did our best,” he told the inquiry.
Dr Rajkumar who has been active in the medical field for over 15 years, told CoI Counsel Keoma Griffith, that additional medical help would not have reduced the mortality but more medical staff were needed on the ground to ease the workload.
He reported that four medical personnel were on the site including himself.
The medical doctor dubbed the experiencing tragic and terrifying while attending to patients who were severely burnt.
“It was very busy and chaotic as Dr Torres, Dr Heywood, myself and others arrived there with our supplies which were in two separate vehicles… there was a lot of people there trying to help us unpack and get it off the aircraft.
“There were about 10 to 12 students in a room and there were people going in and checking on them that did not need to be there. They [the students] had no injuries. The problem was, they were brought to the hospital, their dorm was burnt down. They had nowhere to go sleep, they had no clothing, nothing. So that was a very stressful event for them.”
Meanwhile, Captain Learie Barclay, a pilot attached to Roraima Airways, also in his testimony, recounted the struggles endured while accessing the Mahdia airstrip. He told the commission that the chaos which erupted on the ground did not deter him or other first responders from executing their duties.
Captain Barclay related that the airstrip was “quite chaotic” that night with the mix of medical officials and additional vehicles on the ground but they managed to sort themselves out and get on with the task at hand.
