The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) has announced completion of the registration proceedings for the fourteen (14) persons who died in the December 2008 accident in the Rio Grande Valley, Portland and the seven (7) girls who perished in the fire at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre, St. Ann.

 The CEO Dr. Patricia Holness was speaking at the JIS Think Thank in Kingston on January 21, 2010 and advised that the family of the deceased can now apply for death certificate of the individuals who died in both incidents.

 Dr. Holness explained that officers from the RGD Death Unit began investigations into both incidents shortly after they occurred however, the completion of registration was delayed by several factors.

 The main factors concerned were the delay with the investigations, as the Police officers were challenged in investigating the cases and securing their reports; securing the Post Mortem Reports and concluding the Coroner’s Inquest, reports all of which take some time.

 She stated that registration proceedings are now completed, and that applications can now be made by relatives for these death certificates at the Portland, Kingston and St. Ann’s Bay Regional Offices in the parishes where the victims succumbed.

 The RGD’s CEO pointed out that the Sudden and Violent Death Unit which comprises of a team of employees headed by one main officer is mandated to visit families and relatives who have lost loved ones under violent and sudden death circumstances to assist them with timely registration of the deaths.