Antigua Breaking News

Top Trusted News Source in Antigua

Search
Previous slide
Next slide

  • Home
  • Regional News
  • Parents of two girls who survived a dorm fire that killed 20 in Guyana sue the government

Parents of two girls who survived a dorm fire that killed 20 in Guyana sue the government

Share this article:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

The parents of two teenagers who survived a fire that killed 20 people at a high school dormitory for Indigenous girls last year have sued the government, accusing authorities of negligence.

The lawsuit is seeking more than $50,000 for each of the two unidentified 14-year-old girls who were rescued by authorities and residents who braved the fire last May at the Mahdia dormitory near the border with Brazil, according to documents that attorneys shared with reporters late Wednesday.

CLICK HERE TO GET ON THE ABN WHATSAPP

Investigators have said the fire was deliberately set by a student who was upset that her mobile phone was confiscated.

Attorney Eusi Anderson accused the government of failure to properly equip the school with required fire equipment, to properly train staff in emergency escape and management methods, and to provide marked, well-lit exit routes, fire extinguishers and other emergency equipment.

No date has been set for preliminary hearings.

Anderson also stated in the lawsuit that the girls suffered from severe body burns, smoke inhalation and mental trauma after witnessing the deaths of 19 females and a young boy who died trapped in the iron-grilled building as panicked dorm managers scrambled to
locate keys to locked doors.

Be part of the conversation.

Let us know what you think by adding a comment below. Click here to start now!

One of the girls said in her deposition that she still has severe problems sleeping and “difficulty communicating and engaging with peers.”

Anderson argued that the government is fully responsible for the deadly fire since the girls were in its care at all times.

Guyana’s Attorney General Anil Nandlall was named as the key defendant in the case. He said he was not immediately available for comment.

Last July, Guyana’s government said it would pay $25,000 to the parents of each of the 20 people who died in the fire.

The lawsuit comes about a month after a government-appointed commission responsible for investigating the fatal fire blamed authorities in part for operating the dormitory without proper emergency systems in place.

CLICK HERE TO GET ON THE ABN WHATSAPP

The commission stated in its report that “there was no fire alarm system, no fire detection system, no exit signs and no smoke detection system. There were only three fire extinguishers provided in the buildings and grills were seen on all the windows.”

Authorities have said the grills were necessary to keep girls from escaping and socializing with wealthy gold-and-diamond miners working nearby.

The commission recommended that the government improve safety at dorms including installing extinguishers and sprinkler systems.

School dormitories are widely used in Guyana’s rural interior to serve children from distant mountain and jungle regions who are unable to go home at the end of a school day and return in time the following day.

SOURCE: The Associated Press

CLICK HERE TO GET ON THE ABN WHATSAPP

Аdvеrtіѕе wіth thе most visited news site in Antigua and Barbuda ~ Wе оffеr fullу сuѕtоmіzаblе аnd flехіblе dіgіtаl mаrkеtіng расkаgеѕ. Yоur соntеnt іѕ dеlіvеrеd іnѕtаntlу tо thоuѕаndѕ оf uѕеrѕ іn Antigua аnd аbrоаd via our One Signal push notifications! Соntасt uѕ аt [email protected].

———————————————————————

CLICK HERE TO GET ON THE ABN WHATSAPP

CLICK HERE TO GET ON THE ABN WHATSAPP

CLICK HERE TO GET ON THE ABN WHATSAPP

CLICK HERE TO GET ON THE ABN WHATSAPP

CLICK HERE TO GET ON THE ABN WHATSAPP

CLICK HERE TO GET ON THE ABN WHATSAPP

Make a donation to help support ABN, via PayPal: [email protected]. Follow Antigua Breaking News on X, formerly Twitter @ABNAntigua, and Instgram @AntiguaBreakingNews and on Facebook. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-268-779-3189 or email us at [email protected].

Share this article:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

Join the Conversation!

Comments are closed.

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

 

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

 

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal control processes necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk mitigation procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, Banking or related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in lending, inclusive of MSME lending. The initial employment period will be for two years on a contractual basis. Renewal of the contract will be subject to a performance evaluation at the end of the contractual period. The assignment is expected to begin on September 30th, 2021.  The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

 

https://bit.ly/3iVannm

 

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

  • An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Finance, Banking or related field; and
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending. Applicants should also have:
  • The ability to design and implement risk management procedures 
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
  • Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
  • Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
  • Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
  • Knowledge of marketing and communicating with the MSME sector
  • Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
  • Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
  • Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours:

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Brid Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 11th, 2021, to [email protected]

 

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                          Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                  Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                          [email protected]