Guatemala City - At least 15 people were dead Wednesday
following a fire in a juvenile home near Guatemala City, authorities
said.
The fire at the Hogar Seguro Virgen de la Asuncion, a state-run
shelter for abused children and teenagers, left another 20 injured,
some with severe burns, according to the daily Prensa Libre.
Emergency workers have not yet identified the cause for the fire.
According to news reports, young people staying in the refuge in San
Jose Pinula, 21 kilometers from the capital, may have set mattresses
on fire in a protest over poor conditions and treatment.
Some 60 adolescents reportedly fled the home after the incident.