CNN —At least 20 people have been killed and several others injured in a “horrific” school dormitory fire in the South American country of Guyana, officials said on Monday. “It is with great sadness that we bring to you a heart-wrenching update on the fire at the dormitory at the Mahdia Secondary school” in central Guyana, a Department of Public Information statement said. The Guyanese government earlier mobilized a “full-scale medical evacuation-supported response” after the fire broke out. The Mahdia Secondary School Dormitory, where the fire happened, is at the center of the Guyanese government’s push to improve the education level in the less developed part of the country. In previous government statements, they describe the construction of the school dormitory as an effort to “bridge the gaps between the hinterland and coastal areas.”This is a developing story.

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