Guyana government reaches settlement with parents in dormitory fire that killed 20 children

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana’s government says it will pay $25,000 to parents of each of the 20 children burned to death in a fire at a state-run high school in May as part of a settlement to avoid any further claims in the case. The country’s main opposition party slammed the settlement in a statement Tuesday saying it provided too little money for the families and was aimed at avoiding obligations to address safety issues raised by the fire. The May 21 fire in a heavily fortified girl’s dormitory killed 19 female students and the son of a school administrator. Officials say one of the students deliberately set the fire, and she has been arrested and charged with murder.