Students and staff of the Indianville Seventh Day Adventist Primary School of Indianville, Punta Gorda have been bereft of their learning facility. Thieves broke into their school, stole school supplies and other school property, and then set the building on fire. They must now carry out a massive effort to raise funds to replace the roof of the building and to carry out extensive and expensive repairs.

The incident occurred last night at the SDA Primary School in Indianville, Punta Gorda.

Police and the Punta Gorda Fire Service responded to reports of a fire that was burning at the Indianville SDA Primary School about 9:00 last night. Police said that on their arrival, they saw the entire roof of the school building located on the west side of the school compound engulfed in flames. The firefighters quickly leapt into operation and put out the fire, but by then the entire roof of the building had been destroyed and the building had been extensively damaged.

Police said that the building measures 90 feet x 20 feet and housed the principal’s office along with four classrooms.

The Punta Gorda Fire Service presented a preliminary investigation report, which suggested that the fire started from inside the principal’s office on a table that was located at the west of her office that contained some books and papers. The culprit(s) gained entry into the office by breaking the padlock off the iron door.

According to Ray Jacobs, the vice principal of the school, there will be a delay in estimating the cost of the building and the damage caused by the fire, because the school’s principal, Rose Odinga, is not in the Toledo District. It is also uncertain if the building is insured.

Police have begun an investigation, but so far no one has been arrested or any suspects detained.