At least 20 children were killed and several others injured in Guyana, as a fire swept through a dormitory at the Mahdia Secondary School, 100 miles south-west of Georgetown early Monday morning.
“It is with great sadness that we bring to you a heart-wrenching update on the fire at the dormitory at the Mahdia Secondary school. We have lost many beautiful souls in that fire. The death toll currently stands at 20, while several others received injuries,” according to a government statement.
It said five planes have already taken off to Mahdia to support the regional health officials with additional medical supplies and medivacs and that at this moment, seven children are prepared to be medivac to Georgetown.
“A full-scale medical emergency action plan has been launched. We ask that our prayers continue to be with these children, their families, and communities,” said the statement, adding that Prime Minister Mark Phillips is leading a team of cabinet and other officials to Madhia.
President Irfaan Ali said early that an emergency medical response post has been established at the Eugene F. Correia ‘Ogle’ International Airport to provide initial medical treatment.
“We are setting up an emergency center here. Everything is being set up in Georgetown here to receive the critical and severely injured children,” he said.
“What we definitely know is that it’s horrific. The full result of what took place is not available as yet. That is not the concentration now. The concentration is now on the children and to ensure that we give them as much help as we can,” he said.
Meanwhile, the main opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) is calling for a full investigation and that the report be made public.
CMC/
