At least 20 children have died in a fire at a boarding school in Guyana, in the mining town of Mahdia.

The tragedy happened just after midnight, engulfing a secondary school dormitory and trapping students.

Emergency services struggled to contain the fire because of bad weather conditions.

President Irfaan Ali has described the disaster as horrible and painful.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar has expressed condolences to the families of children who were killed in the tragedy, as well as to the entire CARICOM nation.

In a statement, Persad-Bissessar said the people of Trinidad and Tobago stand together with our neighbours in Guyana on this difficult day.