DNA collection underway for unidentified victims of Mahdia dorm fire

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A specialised team has begun collecting DNA samples from the unidentified victims of the tragic Mahdia fire as well as the grieving parents, said President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday.

Fire gutted the female dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School last Sunday even resulting in the death of 19 and injuries of many.

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Collected samples will be sent to the Mount Sinai laboratory in New York for analysis and results are expected to be available by Friday, May 26.

According to Ali the decision to “use the Mount Sinai lab in New York was due to the lab’s ability to provide the shortest return time in terms of the results.

Some of the children were burnt beyond recognition, necessitating the expertise of the specialised team in collaboration with the Barbados Government.

Barbadian Forensic Pathologist, Dr. Shubhakar Karra Paul arrived in Guyana early Tuesday to assist in the process.

Three of the children are currently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), with two of them classified as critical.

According to Al, in the High Dependency Unit (HDU), two girls are considered stable and showing signs of improvement. The four girls in the open ward are also making progress in their recovery.

Eight girls were brought to Georgetown for a second assessment.

An interdisciplinary team consisting of psychiatrists, counselors, and social workers have been assembled to offer counselling services to the students, their families, teachers, and members of their respective communities.