School dormitory blaze kills 20 in Guyana

(CNN) — At least 20 people have been killed and several others injured in a “horrific” school dormitory fire in the South American country of Guyana, officials said on Monday. “It is with great sadness that we bring to you a heart-wrenching update on the fire at the dormitory at the Mahdia Secondary school” in central Guyana, a Department of Public Information statement said. “We have lost many beautiful souls in that fire. The death toll currently stands at 20, while several others received injuries.” The statement did not say whether the victims were students, teachers or other members of staff. But it added that officials were preparing to transport seven children to the capital, Georgetown, for medical treatment. The Guyanese government earlier mobilized a “full-scale medical evacuation-supported response” after the fire broke out. In an initial statement, the government said the “Cabinet is being briefed and kept updated on a horrific fire at the dormitory in Mahdia.” Bad weather had complicated the early response, the statement added. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our children and their families at this time,” the statement added. The Mahdia Secondary School Dormitory, where the fire happened, is at the center of the Guyanese government’s push to improve the education level in the less developed part of the country. In previous government statements, they describe the construction of the school dormitory as an effort to “bridge the gaps between the hinterland and coastal areas.”

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