20 pupils are killed in school dormitory blaze

A fire has torn through a school dormitory in Guyana, killing at least 20 pupils and injuring others.

The government of the South American country said the fire broke out in the dormitory of a secondary school in the city of Madhia, a gold and diamond mining community 200 miles south of capital Georgetown.

“When firefighters arrived on the scene, the building was already completely engulfed in flames,” Guyana’s fire service said in a statement.

President Irfaan Ali said his government was mobilising all resources to care for the children.

At least six pupils were flown to the capital for treatment. Mr Ali said officials were contacting parents and sending psychologists to help those affected by the fire.

“I cannot imagine the pain right now of the parents,” he said. “This is a major disaster.” The fire began shortly after midnight at the school that serves mostly indigenous children aged 12 to 18, according to national security adviser Gerald Gouveia.

He said it was too early to speculate what might have caused the blaze, adding that heavy thunderstorms in the area posed a challenge to those responding by air.

“It was a battle for us,” he said. “The pilots were very brave.”

Local newspaper Stabroek News reported that the fire broke out in a girls’ dormitory.

Opposition parliamentarian 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.