The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security says all 33 children residing at the privately-owned Hope Children’s Home on the East Coast of Demerara have been safely evacuated following a fire at the facility on Friday.
It said that at the time the fire broke out, the children were attending Vacation Bible School (VBS) in the church building on the compound and that the blaze reportedly started in the boys’ dormitory.
‘All children were immediately evacuated and assembled in a safe area on the dam. The Ministry can confirm that every child has been accounted for, comprising 15 girls and 18 boys,’ the ministry said, adding that ‘the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), along with officials from the Ministry, has already begun relocating the children to state care facilities, where they will continue to receive the care, protection and support they need’.
The ministry did not say what caused the fire, adding ‘the safety and well-being of the children remain’ its highest priority.
In May 2023, at least 20 children died as a fire swept through a dormitory at the Mahdia Secondary School 100 miles south-west of Georgetown.