Nursery guard kills six children by spraying them with alcohol then setting them alight

A NURSERY school guard in Brazil burned six small children and a teacher to death after spraying them with alcohol and setting them alight in an attack which has horrified the nation.

Dozens more were hurt in the incident on Thursday night while the guard, reported to be mentally ill, died after succumbing to his own burn injuries. The tragedy occurred in a modest quarter of Janauba, a city of 70,000 people about 600km (370 miles) north of Belo Horizonte.

The initial death toll of four rose to six when two badly burned children died, according to news reports which quoted fire officials. Janauba’s mayor decreed seven days of mourning.

About 50 people were hospitalised with injuries, said Bruno Ataide Santos, director of the local hospital. Hours later, 10 people remained in hospital.

The guard, who was aged about 50 and identified as Damiao Soares, died in hospital several hours after the incident, which left him with burns all over his body.

About 80 children were in the nursery when the attack took place, prompting terrified parents to rush to the school, where they found one classroom reduced to ashes.

Nelson de Jesus Silva, the father of one victim, Ana Clara Ferreira, told Globonews TV: “As the crèche is near our house we heard noise and rushed over. My little girl was so good, so smart.”

The other victims were all aged four. Police visited the home of the suspect and his family members to try to determine a motive.

Police superintendent Renato Nunes told the website of the Hoje em Dia newspaper that the guard had had mental health problems since 2014. He had worked night shifts for at least eight years at the Innocent People nursery and was not in direct contact with the children.

Police searched his home and found numerous jugs of alcohol.

He reportedly told his family this week – which includes the anniversary of the death of his father – that he was going to give a “gift” to them and that he would die.

Terrified parents rushed to the school, where they found one of the classrooms had been reduced to ashes