Guyana police have charged a 15-year-old girl with nineteen counts of murder concerning the recent Mahdia Secondary School dormitory fire that killed 19 children.
The state-owned Guyana Chronicle reported that the teenager appeared via Zoom before Magistrate Sunil Scare and was not required to plead to the capital charges.
The publication said the teen will be held at a Sophia juvenile facility, and the court adjourned the matter until July 4, 2023.
Investigators said the May 21 Mahdia fire was ‘maliciously set’.
They identified the youngster as a suspect after allegations that she started the blaze after school officials confiscated her mobile telephone.
Fifty-seven female students were in the dormitory when the fire started.
Firefighters said they had to break holes in the wall to rescue some students because of ‘heavily grilled’ windows and locked doors.
The Guyana Chronicle said that in addition to the 19 students who died, 29 sustained injuries due to the fire.
And the privately-owned Stabroek News reported that Inspectors from the Guyana Fire Service are conducting fire prevention and preparedness assessments at schools and dormitories countrywide, which began a month before the May 21 blaze at Mahdia.
Headline photo: The 19 students who perished in the Mahdia fire (Image courtesy Guyana Chronicle)
Smh you killed all those people for a stupid cell phone, smart phones are smarter than people
What a tragedy!
MY SYMPATHYS GOES OUT TO THE FAMILIES. SOO SAD.
Young people’s “values” are so distorted nowadays!!
She will be answering to the state, to officials, to families, her parents, and God forbid to her God as well.
She has so much on her shoulders now – self inflicted.
They ask Satan to find a way so that 666 can be I everyone’s hands!!!well ppl there you have it!..this thing has taken over the world and ppl’s soul…have any of you lost one and felt so sick that you feel like a body organ is missing…I have!and have lost it so often that I got immunized meaning I don’t feel sick anymore if I lose one,always have a back up one…..this 15 yr old girl is innocent AsF.the devil made her do it.
We are indeed living in the ‘End time’ and if you think you’ve seen anything, just wait; Horrendous things will happen to shock the world. The very ones you are putting your trust in will shock you – ‘Keep your eyes on the Lord of Heaven, the Lord of the Holy Bible, the invisible God, pray in the Spirit in truth and in Faith’ – pray daily & call upon his name – JESUS the savior.