Seven-year-old Kareena Persaud died after being crushed by a falling iron gate at the Taj Mahal Hotel and Bar in Corriverton, Berbice on Sunday.
Kareena, a student at Skeldon Primary School, was living with her aunt, 40-year-old Maharanie Ramnarine, at the hotel.
Maharanie, who works as a manager at the hotel, had been caring for Kareena since the child was just four months old after she was abandoned by her biological mother.
The incident occurred around 20:30 hrs when Kareena was caught beneath a heavy iron gate, which had fallen on her.
The gate, made of hollow-section metal, weighs approximately 250 pounds. Maharanie, who was closing the hotel’s doors at the time, turned around after hearing Kareena call out to her, only to find the child lying on the ground with head injuries and bleeding.
Maharanie immediately sought help from others at the scene, and the child was rushed to Skeldon Public Hospital. Despite efforts to save her, Kareena was pronounced dead by the attending doctor.
The police were alerted to the incident around 23:00 hrs on the same evening. Upon arrival at the hospital, officers observed the child’s body, which was wrapped in a sheet on a bed in the Emergency Room. A cut on the forehead was noted by a detective.
Authorities have launched a thorough investigation into the incident. The scene was processed, and several CCTV cameras at the hotel are being reviewed to gather more information. Statements have been taken, and detectives continue to piece together the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
