“Firefighters did manage to rescue some 2o students by breaking holes in the northeastern wall of the building,” she stated.

Irfaan Ali, president of the nation of 800,000 individuals on the North Coast of South America, known as the fire “tragic and painful” and “horrific.”

“The full results of what happened are not here as yet,” Ali stated in an announcement. “The focus now is on the children to ensure that we do everything, to give them as much help as we can.”

The fire began simply after 11:30 p.m. Sunday at the excessive school within the mountainous central city of Mahdia, practically 200 miles from Georgetown, the capital. Neighbors raced to the scene; some heard the cries of these trapped inside, native media reported.

Venezuela claims nearly three-quarters of Guyana. Guyana wants help.

The authorities launched “a full-scale medical emergency action plan,” authorities stated, with plane loaded with medical provides and personnel to help native responders. Within hours, critically injured victims have been evacuated to Georgetown. Others have been admitted to Mahdia District Hospital or have been below statement.

Guyana’s nationwide safety adviser, Gerry Gouveia, instructed native media that it was “a battle” flying by means of lightning and thunder to succeed in the world.

“It was really a national effort and still continues,” he stated. “All of the operators — Air Services, Trans Guyana, Roraima, the Ghana Defense Force, the Air Corps — responded immediately.”

Investigators have been working to find out the reason for the fire. Authorities have been working to find out the names and ages of the victims.

First colonized by the Dutch and later integrated as British Guiana, Guyana gained independence from Britain in 1966. It’s the one nation in South America the place the official language is English, and it stays a member of the commonwealth. In current years, it has drawn consideration for the large offshore oil reserves which might be anticipated to rework its financial system.