A teenager is suspected of starting the fire at a school building in Mahdia, southwestern Guyana, which left 19 dead and at least 17 injured.

According to investigations, the young woman’s mobile phone was confiscated.

“Police investigations so far into Sunday night’s deadly fire in Mahdia, which killed 19 people, show that a student is suspected of starting the devastating blaze because the dormitory supervisor and a teacher took her mobile phone ”, said the police. report.

At least 19 teenagers die in Guyana student house fire

However, an official revealed to the AFP that the young woman admitted to starting the fire. In addition, an informant had indicated that the teenager had threatened to set fire to the facilities in protest on Saturday night.

“They are not allowed to have cell phones and they found this girl with a phone and apparently she was sending pictures, so they took the phone from the girl who threatened to set fire to the building that same night and everyone listened to her,” the official said ..

He pointed out that minutes after the cell phone was taken from him, he went to the bathroom and sprayed insecticide on a curtain while lighting a match.

Despite the efforts of other students to put out the fire, the fire quickly tore through the wooden roof and eventually destroyed the entire building, the official added.

Firefighters arrived 25 minutes after lighting the fire at the facilities where 57 students were staying, 14 of whom suffered burns. Five others died at Mahdia District Hospital, where they were transferred.

Versions indicate that the young woman escaped the building after several men broke down a door when they realized the students were trapped in the concrete structure with metal bars.

The student who started the flames remains in police custody at Mahdia Hospital as authorities try to determine if she can be charged under the Juvenile Justice Act.