In the early hours of Monday, a fire in the South American nation claimed the lives of 19, the majority of whom were female students.
According to reports, the dorm was locked and had covered windows, trapping the victims inside. The adolescent suspect, who is being treated for burns in a hospital, apparently admitted to starting the fire.
School Fire in Guyana
According to a government source who spoke with the AFP news agency, authorities are now seeking recommendations on whether or not to charge her.
The building, which was largely made of wood and at the time housed 57 students, caught fire in the toilet area and gradually spread throughout the entire structure. Screams in the middle of the night startled survivors of the occurrence in the central town of Mahdia.
- Adolescent suspect admitted to starting a fire in a South American dorm, killing 19 female students.
- Fire spread throughout the building, causing screams in Mahdia.
- Firefighters had to break through buildings to assist evacuees after the dorm manager lost their son.
According to a story from the Associated Press, the teenager is accused of threatening to assault after receiving punishment for having a relationship with an older man.
It has come to light that the dorm manager, who lost her five-year-old son in the fire, was unable to find the keys to unlock the door in her frantic search. According to reports, firefighters had to resort to breaking through buildings to assist evacuees.
But due to the poor weather, they first had trouble putting out the fire. Numerous other people were hurt in addition to the victims who died, most of whom were indigenous females. They were brought to hospitals, some of which were in Georgetown, the country’s capital and several of them are still in critical condition.
According to local media, the fire was so devastating that some of the victims had to be identified via DNA testing. The president, Irfaan Ali, had earlier described the fire as a “major disaster.”
