In his statement, Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali, called the incident, which began shortly before midnight, a “major disaster.” He stated, “This is a horrific incident and it is tragic, it is painful, and I cannot imagine the pain of the parents and children, and as a country, we will have to deal with this.”

According to the Sun UK, the pupils were sleeping when the fire blazed through the school’s female dormitory. Five planes were claimed to have taken flight to assist health officials at the time of reporting this report, with plans to bring seven children to Georgetown for treatment.

As the fire burned, photos from the scene showed smoke rising from the structure.

According to the Sun UK, the government issued a statement saying, “We ask that our prayers continue to be with these children, their families, and communities.”
The cause of the fire had not yet been determined at the time this report was made.