Guyana: Inmate sets mattress on fire at Camp Street Prison, two injured

Guyana: A prisoner with an unsound mind had set the mattress on fire at Camp Street Prison, Georgetown, Guyana, on Monday. The incident has injured two inmates who are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

According to the reports, Prisoner Delon Blake, who is currently serving 20 years for rape, allegedly lit his mattress at around 2:00 PM while he was in his cell of the security block in the prison.

As the prison staff could sense something wrong, the rushed and took control of the situation by extinguishing the fire set by Blake.

The authorities revealed that the inmate who set the mattress on fire is mentally unstable and keeps on doing things to trouble the staff.

Olivia Cox, Senior Superintendent at Georgetown Prison shared that the situation was quickly brought under control by the officers on duty at the prison.

Further, the Police informed that Blake and another inmate, Christopher Stanley, who is also of unsound mind, were immediately taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for medical treatment.

Sharing about the injuries, the authorities have mentioned that one prisoner, 25-year-old Christopher Stanley, has sustained second-degree burns on various parts of his body. At the same time, 35-year-old prisoner Delon Blake has received first-degree burn injuries on the right side of his shoulder.

Further, the Guyana Fire Service has shared that its preliminary investigations reveal that the fire was started by an inmate who used a cigarette lighter to set a mattress ablaze. The fire quickly spread to other combustible materials in the cell.

The locals and the officials appreciated the prompt efforts of the staff on duty, who immediately took control of the situation and did not let the fire turn into a disaster that would get out of control and damage severely.

Further investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.