Guatemala City: The death toll in a fire at a Guatemalan children's shelter has risen to 41 after another girl died of her injuries. The attorney general's office said yesterday the girl died after being transferred for treatment to a hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.
She was one of nine girls transferred for treatment to hospitals in the United States. Nineteen of the adolescents perished at the scene of the March 8 fire and 22 others have died at hospitals. The fire began when mattresses were set ablaze during a protest by residents at the overcrowded youth shelter. Guatemalan authorities have arrested three former child welfare officials who were responsible for overseeing the youth shelter.