At least 20 children killed in Guyana school dormitory fire

A nighttime fire raced through the dormitory early Monday, killing at least 20 students and injuring several others, authorities said

At least 20 children have died in a fire that broke out in a school dormitory in central Guyana, the South American nation’s government says.

“It is horrible. It is painful,” President Irfaan Ali said late on Sunday.

The fire broke out in a secondary school in the gold-mining town of Mahdia in the Potaro-Siparuni district, 320km (200 miles) south of the capital, Georgetown, reports Al Jazeera.

“We have lost many beautiful souls in that fire,” the government said in the statement. “The death toll currently stands at 20 while several others received injuries.”

“Five planes have already taken off to Mahdia to support the regional health officials with additional medical supplies and medivacs,” it said.

The government said several students were being treated for injuries, and at least six of them were flown to the capital for treatment.

The cause of Sunday’s fire has yet to be determined.

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It began shortly after midnight at a school that serves mostly Indigenous children aged 12 through 18, according to National Security Adviser Gerald Gouveia.

Local newspaper Stabroek News reported that the fire broke out in a girls dormitory and bad weather was a challenge for those responding to the emergency by air.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips is leading a team of cabinet and other officials going to Mahdia while Minister of Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn is already on the ground.

Opposition member of parliament Natasha Singh-Lewis called for an in-depth investigation.

“We need to understand how this most horrific and deadly incident occurred and take all necessary measures to prevent such a tragedy from happening again in the future,” she said.