At least 19 children killed after school dormitory catches fire in Guyana

Georgetown [Guyana], May 23 : At least 19 children were killed on Monday after the dormitory of a girls' boarding school in Guyana caught fire overnight, The Washington Post reported.

The South American nation has been shook by the fire, which injured at least nine more.

One victim was resuscitated and remained in critical condition on a ventilator on Monday, a spokeswoman for the national fire department said, contradicting earlier reports that 20 people had perished in the fire at the Mahdia Secondary School in Guyana. According to The Washington Post, the dead included 18 girls and a child who was the caretaker's son.

Guyana's President, Irfaan Ali, described the blaze as "tragic and painful" and "horrific."

Nearly 200 miles from Georgetown, the nation's capital, the fire broke out at the high school in the hilly interior town of Mahdia soon after 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, The Washington Post reported citing the local media.

Authorities said that the government had established "a full-scale medical emergency action plan," with planes stocked with personnel and equipment to help local first responders.

Victims with critical injuries were transported to Georgetown in a matter of hours. Others were admitted to Mahdia District Hospital or were under observation.

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