A 13-year old boy from Cacandee Road, Felicity, was held yesterday by Chaguanas police after being suspected of setting fire to a building at the Chaguanas South Secondary School. The building, which housed Forms Three and Five, burnt down.
Three other students were also taken to the station as witnesses for questioning.
According to reports, smoke was seen coming from a building housing three classrooms around 11 am and students were evacuated. The prefabricated building was quickly engulfed in flames and completely destroyed. The Fire Services rushed to the school and extinguished the blaze.
Central Division head, Sen Supt Johnny Abraham, Inspector Terrence Williams and Sgt Jitindra Tooleram visited the school and detained the suspect, and took away three witnesses for questioning. He was being held at the Chaguanas Police Station up to last night.
Ironically, the fire broke out while officers and Education Ministry officials were at the school to launch a National Schools Anti-Bullying Campaign, a release from the police’s Public Affairs Unit said yesterday.
ASP Michael Pierre and officers from the Community Policing Secretariat were in the session with about 200 students in the school’s auditorium around 11.15 am when the fire alarm was sounded.
Police said the eastern wing of the building housing two Form Five and one Form Three classes was on fire.