Open letter to the Mahdia community

Dear Madhia Community Members and Families of the tragedy,

It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that I express sincere condolences to the immediate families, relatives, friends and the community of Mahdia as a collective on the tragic death of 19 young students who were trapped in a dormitory fire. As a community, as a nation, we are all in shock, as we join with you in grief over this devastating event.

No amount of platitudes and expressed compassion will ever be enough to comprehend the grief and pain you the families are experiencing during this difficult time. But despite our inabilities, we offer our deepest sympathy and love to the families who have lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy.

We truly understand that nothing can ease the pain of losing a loved one, and you will need time to heal and come to grips with this reality. But we want to assure you that our community and all conscious minded Guyanese are here to support and stand with you during this difficult time.

We offer our thoughts and prayers to those who are grieving and ask that you do not hesitate to lean on us for support. As we process this tragedy, we all must also take proactive steps to ensure that this never happens again.

The government and community leaders must take swift action to prevent future incidents from occurring in any part of the country. I believe some of the following measures can help prevent tragedies like this.

It is my humble view that regular inspections to such facilities are needed. Government and private officials must ensure that regular inspections of dormitories and other buildings are conducted to detect any potential hazards.

Additionally, installation of fire alarms and sprinklers: It is critical that we install fire alarms and sprinklers in all student dormitories. These early warning systems are essential in preventing fire disasters.

The Promotion of Fire Safety Education should be promoted in all learning institutions with a focus on educating students on how to safely exit a building on fire and how to use electronic appliances and other hazardous materials.

The grilling of dormitory windows and doors should be prohibited. Those buildings are usually in fenced compounds. Those fences should be upgraded with bob wires, security cameras (4) around the building, and a security hut with a monitor to observe the surrounding area.

Further, increase public awareness to report fire incidents. Members of the public should be encouraged to report fire incidents immediately to prevent a minor fire incident from becoming a catastrophe.

Fire extinguishers should be placed in all buildings where people congregate. The proposed ideas can be along with much more that others will share, can help improve the safety of our children.

We encourage everyone in the community to work together to ensure that our environment is safe for all to live, work, and study in. We assure you that we will continue to make representation and take all necessary steps to prevent future tragedies as we mourn the loss of our dear students.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, students, and the community affected by this tragedy.

Yours truly,

Hon. Jermaine Figueira, MP