A fire apparently caused by faulty wiring ripped through a boys' dormitory and several classrooms at President's College leaving over 100 students without lodgings.

Damage is estimated at $100M, which according to a Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) engineer could have been avoided if the college's electrical system had been better maintained.

It was suggested that the affected students go home for a few days and resume school at a date to be determined. A meeting has been scheduled with parents for 10 am tomorrow.

Forty-two of the affected children are from East Berbice, 25 from Essequibo and West Demerara, 14 from Linden and the others from the East Coast and Georgetown.

A Government Information Agency press release said each student would get new school uniforms at a cost of some $25,000 per student.

The GPL official said there had been no major upgrading of the electrical system at the school, situated behind Golden Grove on the East Coast Demerara, since it was established in 1985. And even though there has been an addition to the complex, including the installment of computers, nothing was done to upgrade the system. The engineer observed that the system was overloaded and faulty. He warned that if nothing was done urgently a similar blaze could happen anytime.

 

Ominous spark at midnight

Stabroek News was told that the mid-morning inferno followed an electrical spark around midnight on Sunday. An executive member of the Parent Teacher's Association told this newspaper there was an electrical spark in the same building which nearly caused a fire. The executive said a call was made to GPL which responded and disconnected some of the lights.

But yesterday's conflagration according to Teacher Neil Wellington began in one of the rooms on the middle flat of the dormitory. He said it quickly spread to other sections and also threatened the nearby maintenance building and the college canteen.

Wellington told this newspaper that it was around 11:15 am, when they saw thick smoke issuing from the building. He recalled that General Assembly had just concluded and most of the students were heading back to their classrooms while others were at the canteen. According to Wellington, once the smoke was detected some of the students made a mad rush to the dorms in an effort to put out the blaze and at the same time save some of their belongings. Those who managed to enter the building were forced to jump through the windows on their way out because by then there was too much smoke.

 

Boys dash into burning building

Sixteen-year-old, Aumesh Anantram, a fourth form student, said he was heading to the dormitory after making a purchase at the canteen when he saw the building on fire.

"I turned around and saw other students running towards the building and I ran also."

The schoolboy of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice recounted that he forced his way through the doors, while thick smoke covered his face. "But I persevered until I got into my dorm, grabbed my bag and left."

Anantram was among 20 others who managed to retrieve their belongings but others like, Dhaniram Seepersaud said they tried to enter the building in a bid to save their belongings, but were overcome by the smoke.

Seepersaud told this newspaper he ran upstairs, but had to rush out because of the intense heat and smoke. He said he lost several books, sneakers and clothes.

Wellington said a quick call was made to Georgetown alerting the Guyana Fire Service, while another was made to the Guyana Sugar Corporation's (Guysuco) Enmore Estate.

He said in the meantime, some of the maintenance staff along with other workers formed a bucket brigade and tried to put out the fire. Their efforts were in vain as the fire assisted by high winds ripped through the building within half an hour.

When the Guysuco tenders arrived, the fire fighters managed to contain the fire from spreading to the other buildings by dousing them with water. However, this desperate move could cost the school, as the hundreds of books in the administration building were soaked as well as those in the school library. Several pieces of furniture were soiled, as well as numerous files, records and other important documents.

 

Exam papers turn to ashes

 

When Stabroek News arrived at the college a tender from Georgetown had just arrived. By this time the building was already consumed, but was still smouldering. In the schoolyard, which is almost covered with thick bushes, the hapless students were scattered all over. Some of them could be seen with their mattresses and suitcases hurrying down the stairs of some of the buildings that were being threatened by the fire.

By 12 pm all of the buildings were evacuated. Some students hauled their mattresses into the thick weeds while others looked out for their suitcases and belongings. Simultaneously, parents of some of the students were arriving at the school in droves.

Principal Stanley Lewis said he is not certain what sparked the fire, even though admitting that there was an electrical problem at the school the night before. Lewis assured that every effort was being made to make the students comfortable, while at the same time determine the origin of the fire. He disclosed that some 20 sixth formers had completed their School Based Assessments (SBA) and these papers had been burnt.

Some of the fifth formers also complained that they lost several important text books and assignments which are critical for the upcoming Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations. President Bharrat Jagdeo, who visited the school, said the government would intervene on their behalf with the Caribbean Examinations Council.

Up to late yesterday afternoon the college's administration along with Jagdeo, Minister of Education, Dr Henry Jeffrey and Chief Education Officer, Ed Caesar were working out accommodation for the 103 boys.

Among some of the places suggested for temporary occupancy were the Guyana Women Leadership Institute at nearby Cove and John and the Cyril Potter College of Education. Jagdeo also assured the college that an emergency plan would be worked out to have the building rehabilitated.

 

A fire waiting to happen

The catastrophe was bound to happen, some students said, telling this newspaper that there were broken electrical wires in all of the dormitories. One student recalled instances where her fellow students had to attach the ends of two wires in order to get electricity. This practice was common in other dormitories, the student said, adding that some students usually broke the wires to recharge their cellular phones. The college had one generator which was damaged beyond repair in the blaze.

The college was opened in 1985 with a first batch of 75 students.

The institution houses three dormitories, an administration building, a kitchen, a library, a laundry, a sick bay, an accounts department, two staff rooms, teachers' quarters and two school blocks.

In recognition of the fact that the late Forbes Burnham, Guyana's first executive president, was also the country's first minister of education and was indefatigable in his quest for a better education system in Guyana, it was decided that his sixtieth birthday gift of $280,000 be invested in an educational project.

Students are expected to spend approximately seven years at the college. President's College now has a student body of 450 students from across the country. Hinterland students comprise a quarter of the population. 

(Additional reporting by Iana Seales)