No fewer than 20 children have lost their lives in a fire that razed their dormitory at the Mahdia Secondary School in Guyana, a country located in the northeastern part of South America.
The President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, in his reaction, described the tragedy which began just before midnight as a “major disaster.”
He said, “This is a horrific incident and it is tragic, it is painful and I cannot imagine the pain of the parents and of the children, and as a country, we will have to deal with this.”
According to a report, the students were sleeping when the fire raged through the female dormitory of the school.
Five planes were said to have taken off to support health officials, with plans to transport seven children to Georgetown for treatment.
Photos from the scene showed smoke billowing from the building as the fire raged.
The UK government, in a statement, said, “We ask that our prayers continue to be with these children, their families, and communities.”
The cause of the fire was yet to be determined.
