LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- 20 children have reportedly 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 incident 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 Sun UK, the students were sleeping when the fire raged through the female dormitory of the school.
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As of the time of filing this report, 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 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 is yet to be determined as of the time of filling this report was filed.