goralikus/iStock/Thinkstock(GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala) — Nineteen teens were killed and about 25 more were injured in a fire at a children’s care home in Guatemala.
According to BBC News, police believe the fire may have been started by some of the residents. Officers had intervened on Tuesday when a riot broke out at the home and 60 children had escaped.
The fire ripped through the facility in minutes on Wednesday. Some children who had fled the day before said the fire was due to poor conditions and mistreatment following the riot, BBC News reports.
The United Nations children’s fund in Guatemala condemned the tragedy, urging protection for those living there. The shelter is meant to house those up to the age of 18 who have been abused, abandoned or the victims of trafficking.
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