The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

ELEUTHERA - Officials in North Eleuthera are urging residents to come forward with any information they might have after an arsonist set fire to a local high school early yesterday morning.

The blaze, which occurred shortly before 4am, totally destroyed the library, physical education and social studies rooms at the North Eleuthera High School. Several computers and other school equipment, valued at a few thousand dollars, were also lost.

Although several residents and volunteer firefighters were able to contain the fire before it spread to other buildings, the damage to the school was extensive.

A team of experts from Nassau later flew to the island and launched an investigation into what started the fire. When Royal Bahamas Police Force Commissioner Ellison Greenslade, two fire services officers and the fire chief arrived to the scene at around 8am, the building was still smouldering.

Following a preliminary walk through, Mr Greenslade during a press briefing confirmed that the incident had the markings of the work of an arsonist.

“An entire block of classrooms is lost,”he said. “I have been informed that the fire was intentionally set and were it not for divine providence, the area MP, Mr Neilly. and other officials we could have lost a lot more property.

“This is the clear work of an arsonist.”

Moving forward, the Commissioner said the focus now is to heighten security at the school.

But securing the property will not be the only challenge for officials, they now have to find available accommodations to house students until the building can be repaired, said Mr Theo Neilly, North Eleuthera MP.

“The challenge is being able to assess if the damage will affect the operations, but the people of North Eleuthera are resilient and we will do all we can to continue,” he said.