A fire inside the dormitory of a secondary school located in central Guyana has left at least 20 people dead and another group injured. The authorities of that country are working to care for those affected with a large-scale medical operation, but weather conditions can harm the actions
At least 20 people died early this Monday, May 22, in a fire in a dormitory of a school located in the town of Mahdia, in central Guyana.
This was confirmed by the government of President Irfaan Ali, who described the situation in the educational center as a “great catastrophe” and “painful”.
Mahdia is a mining city in the center of Guyana, a small country located in the north of Brazil and which also has borders with Venezuela and Suriname.
The president affirmed that the operations are organized so that the two largest hospitals in the capital, Georgetown, receive the wounded who need care.
“It is with great sadness that we bring you a heartbreaking update on the Mahdia High School dormitory fire. We have lost many beautiful souls in that fire. The death toll currently stands at 20, while other people have been injured,” the statement said.
Among the victims are several girls.
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Several private planes and military ships were sent to Mahdia, which is located 200 kilometers south of Georgetown, to assist the injured with additional medical supplies and health personnel.
For his part, the Prime Minister of Guyana, Mark Anthony Phillips, traveled to the area of the accident with part of the ministerial train to coordinate the efforts to rescue and care for the critically injured, as well as organize a medical emergency plan; which could be delayed due to bad weather conditions.
The Mahdia secondary school dormitory, where the fire broke out, is at the center of Guyana government initiatives to improve education standards in the less developed part of the country.
CNN recalls that, in previous government statements, the construction of the school dormitory is described as an effort to “bridge the gap between the interior and coastal areas.”
With information from R.F.I. / CNN / D.W. /
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