Police say the girl deliberately ignited a fire after an administrator at her school confiscated her phone.

A 15-year old girl was accused of starting a fire in a dormitory at a school in Guyana, which resulted in 18 classmates and a 5-year-old boy dying.

The teenager was charged with 19 counts. A court near Georgetown, the capital, decided that she will be tried as an adults, according to Associated Press.

The police claim that the girl deliberately set fire to Mahdia secondary school on May 21, in revenge after an official at the school confiscated her phone.

Her next court date is July 5, and she was not permitted to enter a plea. The teen faces a life sentence in prison if she is found to be guilty.

According to local authorities, the fire started shortly before midnight. In addition to 19 deaths, dozens of children were also injured. One victim was flown by helicopter to a New York hospital for special treatment.

According to AP, police say that all five doors of the burning building were locked using keys from within.

As a precaution, the dormitory administrator reportedly bolted the doors to stop the female students - ranging in age between 12-18 - from secretly leaving the building to meet adult males at a nearby mine town.

Gerald Gouveia, National Security Advisor, stated that the admin, or "dorm mother", had fumbled keys in panic when the fire tore through the building.

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Title: Girl Charged with Burning School, 19 Children Dead, After Phone Was Taken Away
Sourced From: www.toofab.com/2023/05/30/girl-charged-burning-school-19-children-dead/
Published Date: Tue, 30 May 2023 17:24:12 +0000

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