A teenage girl sets her school on fire, and 19 children die

A teenage girl sets her school on fire, and 19 children die

Officials say that a teenager has been accused of starting a fire that killed 19 fellow students in Guyana.

Police said she was angry because her phone was stolen as punishment for seeing an older man.

The fire service said the doors were locked throughout the night to prevent the girls from sneaking out.

DormOfficials said that a dormitory fire that killed 19 children in Guyana was started by a teenage student who was upset that her mobile phone had been stolen

The fire broke out at Mahdia High School in the South American country late Sunday. A Guyanese Fire and Rescue Service statement stated that the fire was "maliciously started."

National Security Adviser Gerald Govea told The Associated Press that the suspect in the incident, a schoolboy, iswas accused of setting the dorm on fire after beingisciplined for having contact with an older man.

“A student is suspected of starting the devastating fire because her cell phone was stolen by the mother and the teacher,” Guyana Police Chief of Communications Mark Ramotar said in a statement seen by local news agency Stabroek News.

When the firefighters arrived, the fire service said the wood and concrete building that housed the 57 children was on fire.

She added that the windowbuilding windowsclosed tightly and five doors were closed.

She said 38 students managed to get out after firefighters punched holes in the wall and that those who got out — including six seriously injured children who were flown to Georgetown, the capital of Guyana — were receiving medical treatment.

The newspaper said that the student accused of starting the fire is under the supervision of the police in the hospital while the police are studying whether to charge her.

Leslie Ramsamy, an advisor to the country's health ministry, told the Associated Press that the girl will remain in a juvenile prison after she recovers.

The fire has become a national tragedy in Guyana, with President Irfan Ali declaring three days of mourning, according to DW.