17 schoolgirls killed, 5 other injured in Thailand dormitory fire

Bangkok : A local newspaper quoted police as reporting on Monday that a schoolgirl boarding-house in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai was burnt down late Sunday, killing 17 girls, injuring five others while two girls were missing.

The fire broke out at the boarding-house of Pithakkiart Witthaya School in Wiengpapao district at 11 p.m. Sunday, according to the Nation newspaper.

The girls who died in the fire were between five to 12 years old.

There were 38 schoolgirls staying at the boarding-house. They came from hilltribe villages in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai to study in the town.

After the blaze broke out officials could only evacuate a few of the girls while the rest were trapped inside