Deaths in Guatemala shelter fire reach 34

ASTANA. KAZINFORM The number of fatalities from a fire at a children's shelter in Guatemala has climbed to 34 and is likely to rise further, the director of the capital's Roosevelt Hospital said Thursday, Kazinform has learnt from EFE.

The majority of the 20 shelter residents who remain hospitalized are in serious condition, suffering from third- and fourth-degree burns and respiratory problems, according to officials.

Though the shelter houses minors of both sexes, all of the casualties from the fire are girls.

Autopsy results show that most of the deaths were from carbon-monoxide poisoning due to smoke inhalation, National Institute of Forensic Sciences spokesman Roberto Garza told EFE .

Some of the bodies were burned so badly that pathologists had to consult dental records to identify the victims, he said.
Investigators have determined that the girls started the fire Wednesday at the Hogar Virgen de la Asuncion in the Guatemala City suburb of San Jose Pinula.

The girls supposedly set fire to some mattresses as part of a protest against alleged sexual and physical abuse at the shelter.
The girls, according to reports, decided to stage the protest on International Women's Day to draw attention to their plight.

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