General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, today, expressed condolences to the relatives and colleagues of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks who died this morning, following an explosion at Camp Stephenson, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
The soldiers who died during the explosion are; Lance Corporal Kevon Nicholson, 23, of Levi Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam; Lance Corporal Toohey Peneux, 28, of Orealla Village, Corentyne River; and Private Shaqueel Deheart, 20, of Paradise Village, West Coast Berbice.
Other soldiers who were injured in the incident are; Sergeant Threlfall, who is currently receiving medical care at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and Lance Corporal Peters; he was being treated at Base Camp Stephenson.
Jagdeo, during a virtual media briefing today, said that his hope is that the investigation launched will take into consideration that a similar incident occurred not too long.
“One would have expected that if we know that the pyrotechnic ordinance is unstable then greater precaution would have taken place,” Jagdeo said.
A Board of Inquiry has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the explosion.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President David Granger has also since expressed condolences to the families and friends of those who met their demise.
The GDF, in a media release stated that the men were preparing pyrotechnics for demolition when the incident occurred.
The incident, the GDF stated occurred at about 9:00h.
