Mahdia Fire Station received new water bowser, other equipment after dormitory tragedy

Other sites inspected during the visit included a trench which firefighters sourced water from on the night of the fire, the now cleared area that once housed the female dormitory, the Mahdia hospital and the secondary school.

In the testimonies, the Commission heard that the building was grilled and the doors were locked from inside, causing first responders to experience difficulty in accessing the building. There were also no fire prevention tools and mechanisms in place.

To address this, the Commissioners were informed on Wednesday that following the tragedy measures were put in place by the authorities to ensure that the male dormitory which is situated right aback the destroyed building and the dining hall are equipped with fire prevention tools such as fire extinguishers and smoke detectors.

While over at the Mahdia Hospital, the Commission engaged doctors. They related that they now are in possession of a wider variety of medications along with more oxygen, to enhance their response should any other incident of this nature arise.

Before they wrapped up the visit to the Region Eight community, the Commissioners met with relatives of the deceased as well as the survivors, mainly to determine how they were coping.

In keeping with the Terms of Reference, the CoI is required to inquire into and report on everything leading up to the dormitory fire as well as the cause of the fire.

They will also investigate and report on what actions were taken to provide care, medical attention, and support to the injured and deceased and their relatives, in a timely manner.

Recommendations are also expected from the commission, which will include necessary measures to prevent a reoccurrence of such tragedies.

Following a one-month extension, the Commission has until November month end to wrap up its work and present a report with the findings to President Dr Irfaan Ali.