Fire in student dormitory leaves 20 dead in Guyana

“It is with great sadness that we report a shocking update on the fire at the Mahdia High School dormitory. The death toll has risen to 20 and there are several injured,” states the official government note, without mentioning the causes of the fire.

“Several people were injured,” highlighted the Executive, before announcing that five planes were sent to Mahdia to help regional health authorities distribute additional medical supplies and carry out sanitary evacuations.

“The president and other authorities support the efforts made in Ogle (Georgetown airport, capital) to receive patients in critical condition and coordinate an emergency action plan,” said the government, which asked people to “continue praying for these children, their families and their communities.”

At least one plane with three people evacuated arrived in Georgetown, according to an AFP journalist.

“It’s a huge catastrophe. It’s terrible, painful”, declared the president, Irfaan Ali, at the airport.

“We started large-scale medical rescue services […], I also ordered special devices” in the capital’s two large hospitals “so that all children who need help receive the best possible care”, he added.

A source from the security forces explained to AFP, on condition of anonymity, that there were “many dead and injured” and highlighted that the victims were “children”.

Mahdia is located about 200 kilometers south of Guyana's capital and its region has been affected by heavy rains.

“We are with all our hearts for the families and relatives of those who have been affected by this tragedy,” said Natasha Singh-Lewis, an opposition MP. “We ask the authorities to carry out an in-depth investigation into the causes of the fire and a detailed report of what really happened,” she added.

“We must understand how this horrific and deadly event occurred and take all necessary measures to prevent such a tragedy from happening again,” he added.

Guyana, a small English-speaking nation of 800.000 inhabitants, a former Dutch and British colony, has the largest per capita oil reserves in the world, the exploitation of which is still incipient.

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