Arson attack at Naparima College

ARSON is suspected in an early morning fire yesterday which almost gutted the staff room at Naparima Boys’ College in San Fernando. Quick action by two employees, who hosed down the blaze, averted what could have turned out to be a major disaster at the Lady Hailes Avenue school. The fire, which destroyed five desks, examination and assignment papers, stationery, textbooks and other items, started around 6.40  am at the top floor, where the staff room is located. Some pupils had already arrived at the school and, according to a police report, they noticed smoke coming from the windows of the staff room. The pupils raised an alarm.

Groundsmen Ramcharitar Dwar-ika and Robby Manickchand grabbed a hose and rushed into the smoked-filled staff room. Fire Headquarters at Mon Repos were called in, but by the time fire tenders arrived, Dwarika and Manickchand had successfully extinguished the blaze. After acting Divisional Fire Officer Tajudeen, and officers Pustom and Davis conducted a preliminary investigation, the police were notified. One fire officer told Newsday: “The fire could not have started by an electricial fault. We have not ruled out that someone may have set the fire.” School principal, Maureen Attwal, who was busy arranging to have the debris removed, said she was at her home when the security guard told her about the fire.

Attwal said the groundsmen unlocked the staff room for the arrival of teachers at about 6.30 am yesterday, but at that time, the principal added, there was nothing suspicious. “But in the space of ten minutes they were outing a fire in that same room,” Attwal said. Asked if she had any suspicions as to why someone would want to set the staff room on fire, Attwal said: “I am keeping an open mind. I am not sure.” The principal and teachers were working feverishly yesterday to determine if CXC examination papers were destroyed. If such papers were burnt, Attwal said, the CXC examination board would have to be contacted. Classes proceeded as normal for pupils, but teachers whose desks and tables were gutted had to be relocated. Visiting the scene was a party of officers from the San Fernando CID, including Insp Brerton, Sgt Bellingy and PC Gajadhar.