The incident began at about 11 p.m. local time on May 22 when a fire broke out at a dormitory for girls at a private elementary school in Wiang Pa Pao district, which is located in the northern province of Chiang Rai.

Police told the Thai Rath newspaper that 17 girls between the ages of 5 and 12 were killed in the blaze, while two other children remain unaccounted-for. Five girls were seriously injured while 14 others were able to escape unhurt.

Photos shown by local media outlets showed flames shooting from the roof of the dormitory, but there was no immediate word on what may have caused the blaze. The fire had been extinguished by early morning of May 23.