Mystery fire destroys President's College dorm
--- damage est. $100M
By Chamanlall Naipaul
Guyana Chronicle
April 27, 2004
DISASTER struck Guyana's School of Excellence, President's College, at Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara yesterday, when fire mysteriously broke out at one of the dormitories, completely destroying the building in a matter of minutes. Fortunately there were no fatalities or injuries.
The loss caused by the fire is estimated at $100M, with the 80 students who were housed in the building losing all their books, cash, clothing and other valuables. Several members of staff lost their salaries, electrical equipment, clothing and books. One member of staff, George Vidyanand, who is also a writer, lost three manuscripts of books he recently worked on. "I will never be able to rewrite or recover them," he sadly related.
Equally troubling was the fact that many of the students who were housed in the destroyed building are from far-flung areas. And the traumatized students were scheduled to write the CXC oral Spanish examination today!
Many first formers were so shocked and devastated that they broke down in tears.
According to members of staff the fire started in the middle flat of the three flat building which houses male students of the upper forms around 10:45 hours, at the conclusion of the students' assembly, which was held outdoors. Immediately, a bucket brigade comprising students and members of staff began trying to stem the flames. But the fire spread and intensified too rapidly to be contained.
A fire tender from nearby Enmore Sugar Estate arrived on the scene about 20 minutes later, and another fire tender from the Georgetown Fire Service arrived about 50 minutes after the fire began. By then the building was completely razed to the ground, so the firemen had to concentrate on preventing the fire spreading to the other buildings. The fire was brought under control at around 13:30 hours, but as a precaution the nearby buildings were doused with water, and members of staff and students worked speedily to evacuate books, furniture and other valuables from the other buildings.
A $3M standby generating set donated by the German Government and located near to the building was also destroyed by the fire.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined but it would seem that it is electrical because on Sunday night there were problems with the circuit which caused personnel from the Guyana Power Company Limited (GPL) to intervene.
Principal of the school, Stanley Lewis describing the tragedy said: "It's like their home which has been destroyed."
The most immediate problem which has to be tackled Lewis pointed out is to find a contingency plan to house the students who are writing CXC examinations which has begun already, as many of them are from far-flung areas.
A strategy would have to be worked out in concert with the Ministry of Education and parents to bring relief to the situation which is a very complex one, Lewis told the Chronicle.
President of the Parent Teachers Association (PTA), Hans Metzger expressed similar sentiments noting that the destruction of the building "is a real setback and devastating."
Some alternative housing arrangements would have to be put in place for the examination students or alternatively they might have to travel on daily basis, Metzger offered.
Asked about the response of the Fire Service he said when they arrived "they did their very best."
President's College was established in 1985 and was the brainchild of one of Guyana's former President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham who did not live to see it becoming a reality, but intended it to become an institution to mould students of excellence.