(Barbados Today) Prime Minister Mia Mottley has pledged support to Guyana following a fire that engulfed a secondary school dormitory and trapped students, killing 19 of them, early Monday.
Fourteen children died on the scene of the blaze at Mahdia Secondary School in the mining town of Mahdia, central Guyana, while five died at the hospital. Firefighters were able to rescue 20 students.
“What has happened in Guyana is a tragedy that words simply cannot describe. It is a moment in which Barbados and the entire Caribbean joins with Guyana in sharing their pain and loss. It is also a moment in which we rally with our Caribbean friends and family to aid in the healing and rebuilding process,” Prime Minister Mottley said in a statement on Monday.
“On behalf of the Government and the people of Barbados, I offer my most sincere condolences and have offered to His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the Government and the people of Guyana, any support they will need during this painful and difficult time.”
Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Charles Griffith had earlier extended condolences to the relatives of the children who lost their lives.
Griffith, who said he was saddened and shocked by the news, told Barbados TODAY it was always challenging to come to grips with the tragic death of young people.
