At least 19 people, many of them schoolchildren, were killed in a devastating fire that engulfed a girls’ dormitory in Mahdia, Guyana on Sunday night. A fire service official said the blaze had been “maliciously set,” though it is still unclear who was responsible. The victims, aged between 12 and 18, were attending the Mahdia Secondary School, which provides air travel for students from remote areas. The government has dispatched five planes stocked with emergency medical supplies and health care workers to the site, and Prime Minister Mark Phillips is leading a team of officials to the school. The tragedy has sparked outrage among the local community, with Amerindian activist Michael Mc Garrell saying his 15-year-old twin great-nieces were among the victims. The government has promised a thorough investigation into the incident, and urged for psychologists and counselors to be made available for the emergency response effort.
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