VIDEO: Fire in Guyana Boarding School Leaves at Least 19 Students Dead

At least 19 children have died as a result of a fire that broke out in a boarding school in Guyana, RTVI reports.

The fire ignited in the town of Madiya on Sunday evening. Among the victims are 18 girls and one boy, according to CBC citing local authorities. One theory suggests that the cause of the fire may have been arson.

In total, there were 59 girls living in the boarding school. At the time of the incident, 56 people were inside the building. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the structure was fully engulfed in flames. A total of 20 people were rescued from the fire.

Thirteen girls and one boy were pronounced dead at the scene, while five others succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Additionally, six children were transferred to a hospital in Georgetown, and 17 individuals remain hospitalized in Madiya.