Death toll from dormitory fire in Guyana increases

The death toll from last week's fire at the dormitory of a secondary school in Guyana climbed to 20 on Tuesday after a 13-year-old schoolgirl died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Doctors confirmed that 13-year-old Sherana Daniels had been suffering with injuries related to carbon monoxide inhalation and had cardiac arrests on two occasions.

Her 16-year-old sister, Trishana, who also attended the school but survived the tragedy, told reporters that the family is distraught at the death.

She said when she arrived at the hospital to visit her sister, a doctor asked her if she knew her sister's condition was not better and she was then taken into the room where she saw her mother crying and was informed of the death.

Sherana was initially pronounced dead hours after the inferno last Monday but the death toll had to be revised since she was successfully resuscitated and flown to the capital for medical attention.

She was among several girls who survived and were patients at the GPHC. One was flown overseas at the weekend for critical care in New York.

On Monday, Magistrate Sunil Scarce adjourned to July 4, the case against a 15-year-old girl, charged with 19 counts of murder arising from fire at the dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School.

The teenager, who is also a student of the school, was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge when she appeared in court via Zoom.

The teenager is accused of setting fire to the dormitory last Monday resulting in the deaths of 18 fellow students between the ages of 12 and 17 and a five year-old boy.

Guyanese law prohibits the naming of juvenile accused persons or convicts. But it allows for her to be charged with murder since she is older than 14 years.

CMC/