The parents of teenage twin girls, Martha and Michelle D’Andrade, who died in the Mahdia Secondary School dorm fire have filed a $900 million dollar lawsuit against the state, after the Court set aside an agreement that had been reached with the Government for a $5million settlement.
The mother, Valerie Carter, had complained to the Court that the agreement was signed under undue pressure and influence from officials representing the state.
The twin girls died along with 18 other children when a fire ripped through the heavily grilled facility.
The parents have filed their lawsuit through Attorney-at-Law, Eusi Anderson for $900M, claiming the death of the children was due to negligence on the part of the state.
In her filing, the mother told the Court that the death of her children has left their family, community and the country in immense pain.
Ms. Carter noted that the several Government Ministries and Agenies failed in their execution of their duties which ultimately led to the fire and the death of her children.
She said the Ministries of Education, Home Affairs, the Guyana Fire Service and Ministry of Health failed to equip the Mahdia school dorm and its personnel with necessary skills, experience and expertise to manage emergencies including fires.
Further, she claimed that those agencies also failed to equip the school dorm with illuminating lights to direct occupants to escape routes in case of an emergency and failed to keep the emergency exits clear and operational. She also claimed that the State agencies failed to abide by a recommendation made by the Guyana Fore Service back in 2022 to remove grills from the exit and windows of the school dorm.
The Government had offered $5M for each child that perished in the fire to the families. While Ms. Carter had signed the agreement, she later filed a Court action challenging it.
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