"This is a horrific incident. It's tragic, it's painful," said Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, adding that his government is mobilizing resources to help children who remain seriously injured.
The fire broke out shortly before midnight in the residential building of a high school in the town of Madhia, a gold and diamond mining community. Six students were flown to Georgetown for treatment and five others remain in a hospital in Mahdia, while 10 others are under observation.