Thailand dormitory fire kills 17 schoolgirls

Bangkok, May 23 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, a local newspaper quoted police as reporting on Monday.

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

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