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UPDATE: Guyana now says 19 children died in school dormitory fire

The Guyana Fire Service now says 19 children died in the early morning fire which razed the dormitory at the Mahdia Secondary School 100 miles south-west of Georgetown.
 
A government statement had initially stated that 20 people had died, but in a statement the fire service said 19 children had lost their lives by the time the fire was extinguished.
 
Fourteen children died at the scene and another five in hospital. Six others, including two in critical condition, were airlifted to the capital, Georgetown, while others remained under local hospital care.
 
Some 20 students were rescued.
 
The Guyana Fire Service said its team is still on the ground investigating the cause of the fire.
 
Officials said an estimated 57 children were housed in the dormitory. The students were from four indigenous mountain villages.
 
Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Education Minister Priya Manickchand and Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn are visiting affected students and families.
 
Indigenous Amerindians in Chenapau Village are demanding compensation from the government following the incident.
 
Amerindian rights activist Michael McGarrell, who lost two relatives and three others are hospitalised, also expressed concern that the dormitory had been heavily grilled.
 


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