Fire engulfs Guatemala center killing 21 girls

A massive fire erupted at a home for abused teenagers and children in Guatemala, killing at least 21 girls and injuring more than 40 others on Wednesday night. It has been reported that the fire started when a group of residents sent mattresses ablaze following an overnight attempt to escape from the house which had substandard living conditions and was overcrowded.

The shelter was government run and was named Virgen de Asuncion home. It was aimed for youths up to the age of 18 years and was located in San Jose Pinula, which is around 25 km southwest of the capital, Guatemala City.

According to the details of the incident provided, the fire erupted when a group of young girls, who had been isolated by the authorities, set fire to the mattresses as a form of protest. The fire went out of hands in a very short time due to the confined space. Authorities are still trying to determine whether those who started the fire are the same ones who tried to escape earlier.

“What happened is extremely serious, and even more so for the fact that it could have been avoided,” Anabella Morfin, Guatemala’s solicitor general, told a news conference.

“This should never have happened.”

Burn bodies were seen strewn across a room, partially covered in blankets. More than 40 people who got injured from the fire, are being treated at different hospitals. A group of disabled girls had been shifted to another shelter while investigators went through the burnt home.

President Jimmy Morales declared three days of national mourning, and the government criticised conditions at the home.

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Posted by fatimaarshad on Mar 9 2017. Filed under Latest News, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.