Mahdia tragedy: Inquiry team near finalised- President Ali

The members of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the deadly fire at the female dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School in Region Eight (Potaro- Siparuni) are near finalised, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said on Wednesday.

The Head of State told reporters that he was in talks with several potential candidates.

“…I am hoping that before the end of this week, we can have the full complement constituted for the Commission of Inquiry,” President Ali said during a press conference held on Wednesday at his Georgetown office.

Previously, he said Major General (Ret’d) Joseph Singh would lead the CoI.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ali also told reporters that the Terms of Reference for the CoI is also near completion. Once the Commissioners are named, they will be expected to contribute to the finalisation of that document.

The President, in May, said a CoI will be done and the findings of the inquiry will “inform the way forward.”

A total of 20 children- 19 girls and one five-year-old boy- lost their lives after the tragedy. Several others were injured with one 13-year-old girl still receiving care abroad. It was reported that the fire was started by a young student, but safety concerns about the dormitory have been raised.