Guatemala declared 3 days mourning after a blaze Wednesday in a Government run-children's shelter killed at least 22 girls and focused attention on allegation of sexual and other abuse in the facility.
All those killed were aged between 14 and 17.
Many died of burns in the fire in the virgin of assumption home in San Jose Pinula 10kilometres east of Guatemala city, official said.
A total of 38 were injured, 16 of them in a critical condition, hospital official said.
President Jimmy Morals said in a national television that he had ordered dismissal of the shelter director
The fire was believed to have started during an overnight rebellion in the centre, which holds nearly double the 400 people it was designed to house. Some youths tried to escape , news report said.
Morals said that before the fire, orders had been giving to transfer some of the youths to other facilities because of the over crowding.
"They were serving food to the teenagers when some of them started a fire in a mattress and that's how the fire was set" said Abner Paredes , a prosecutor defending children's right.
Human right activist held a vigil Wednesday night ,lighting candles and placing flowers outside the shelter and in the main square in Guatemala city.
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