Guyana - At least 20 children dead in school dormitory fire - Mahdia, 22 May 2023

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At least 20 dead in school dorm fire in Guyana, officials say: "This is a major disaster"

"This is a major disaster. It is horrible, it is painful," the president of the country in northeast South American said.

www.cbsnews.com

At least 20 people were killed Sunday in a school dormitory fire in Guyana, the government said in a statement, with the nation's president calling it a "major disaster."

"This is a major disaster. It is horrible, it is painful," the South American nation's President Irfaan Ali said Sunday night.

The death toll had risen to 20 and several people were injured in the fire at the Mahdia Secondary School in central Guyana, the government statement said.

Guyana school fire: At least 20 children die in Mahdia blaze

A major fire breaks out at a secondary school in the central town of Mahdia, engulfing a dormitory.

www.bbc.com

Emergency services are struggling to contain the fire because of bad weather conditions, the government says.

Several more people have been injured and some are being prepared for evacuation to the capital, Georgetown, where a special centre has been set up.

Mahdia is a mining town in the center of the country.

Mahdia, Guyana - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

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Teenage Girl Charged with Killing 19 in School Dorm Fire After Cell Phone Was Confiscated

A 15-year-old girl in Guyana has been arrested for “maliciously” starting a school dormitory fire that killed 19 after her cell phone was taken by a teacher.

people.com

AP reported that the teenage girl appeared in court virtually on Monday and was charged as an adult for the 19 murders. The teen wasn’t allowed to enter a plea to the charges, AP reported, and will make another court appearance on July 5 when it will be determined if the trial can begin.

Investigators allege the teen started the fire in the dorm bathroom after her cell phone was confiscated, per AP. The girl faces life in prison if convicted, the outlet added.