A teenage student who was angry that her cell phone had been confiscated is suspected of starting a fire that killed 19 children in a school dormitory in Guyana, officials said.
The fire broke out late on Sunday at the Mahdia Secondary School in the South American country, which serves mostly Indigenous students aged 12 to 18.
The dormitory was locked to prevent the girls from sneaking out at night, and the windows were barred.
The house mother who was sleeping inside managed to escape, but lost her five-year-old son in the fire.
Firefighters arrived to find the building completely engulfed in flames and rescued about 20 students by breaking holes in the wall. It took them more than three hours to control the blaze.
Police and fire officials said the fire was “maliciously set” and that a female student was the main suspect.
She had been disciplined for having a liaison with an older man and had her cell phone taken away by a teacher.