Four children and a teacher have died in an arson attack at a nursery in Brazil today which was reportedly started by a security guard and which left around 25 injured.

Four toddlers, aged four years old, and a teacher died in the tragedy at the Innocent Children's People Municipal Education Day Centre in Janaúba, in Minas Gerais, south east Brazil.

Lieutenant Colonel John Aparecido Nascimento, commander of Military Police said: 'We believe a security guard at the nursery set himself on fire and set fire to children in the kindergarten.'

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Four toddlers have been burned to death and 40 more people are injured after a security guard carried out a horrific arson attack at a school in Brazil

The security guard has been named as 50-year-old Damiao Soares dos Santos

Pictured, the burned out room in the nursery where the tragedy happened

Brazil police revised the death toll after earlier reports that the numbers were higher.

The perpertrator was named by police as fifty-year-old Damien Soares dos Santos, who had been working as a night watchman at the day care centre for eight years.

The horrific incident occurred on Thursday morning when about 50 students were in the nursery located in Rio Novo a neighbourhood in Janaúba.

Minas Gerais police spokesperson said: 'We can confirm four children and a teacher have died, and 25 people are injured, nine are in a critical condition.'

The Legal medical Institute (IML) in Janauba released the names of the children who died in the attack as Ana Clara Ferreira Silva, Luiz Davi Carlos Rodrigues, Juan Pablo Cruz dos Santos and Juan Miguel Soares Silva. All were four years old.

Mayor of Janauba, Carlos Isaildon Mendes, confirmed that the teacher, named as Helley Abreu Batista, died from her injuries after being taken to hospital.

Fifteen victims with life threatening injuries have been sent to the capital Belo Horizonte. Pictured, one of the victims in hospital after the incident

The guard set fire to several children and himself at the Innocent Children's People Municipal Education Centre in Janaúba, in Minas Gerias, south east Brazil, police say. This was the scene as victims were being rushed to hospital

Janauba Regional Hospital also reported that about 40 people had been treated by the unit - 25 of them remain hospitalised suffering from severe burns and 15, who were in shock, have been released.

Among the hospitalised patients, 14 are children aged four to five.

Nursery staff, among the wounded, are reported to have suffered more than 20 per cent of burns to their body.

According to Mr Mendes there was no indication that Santos was about to carry out the atrocity. He had no prior record of problems at work.

The Mayor told Minas Gerais media, Santos was on holiday and had gone to the nursery to hand in a medical certificate.

Pictured, the nursery in Brazil where the tragedy took place

Pictured, teams of emergency rescuers worked to take the wounded to hospital by air

It is reported that he may have been suffering from depression.

Speaking to local media Mr Mendes said: 'This is a very complicated situation. This was a decent employee who was on holiday from work.

'I had just returned from visiting the nursery. I was told (Damiao) knocked at the gate saying he wanted to deliver a medical certificate because he claimed he was not feeling well.

'He has been an employee since 2008 and has never had a bad record so we could never have anticipated something of this nature happening.'

According to a spokesman from Janaúba city authority, Damiao went to the nursery carrying a pink backpack.

The spokesman said: 'Staff at the nursery found it strange that he chose to ring the bell and that he was at the nursery outside of working hours.

Police helicopters (pictured) were called to join in the tragic rescue

'But he said he was there to deliver a medical certificate.

'We believe he was carrying a bag of flammable liquid, possibly alcohol or gasoline in his backpack, which he used to set fire to the victims and himself.

'Staff at the nursery said he poured the liquid over the children and set fire (to himself and to them). We were also told he embraced some of the children which caused their bodies to burn.'

According to the spokesman, the room where the students were trapped has bars on the window and a PVC ceiling which is flammable.

The security guard allegedly responsible for the attack is believed to have died in hospital after the attack this morning

An emergency command centre has been set up at the scene of the tragedy to control the critical rescue response. Minas Gerais Civil Police said: 'In response to the tragedy that occurred this morning in Janaúba, north of the state, the Civil Police of Minas Gerais (PCMG) announces that it has been carried out on - site investigations.

'The autopsy on the bodies of the four deceased children is being conducted at this time.

'PCMG investigation teams are in the house of the suspect and are questioning his family for information that might assist with our inquiries and to help to elucidate the causes that motivated the crime.'

Brazilian President Michel Temer voiced his horror at the atrocity. He told Correio Braziliense: 'I want to express my solidarity and regret about this event, and hope that these things will not happen again in Brazil, because the world is revolted by the incident.'

Janaúba city council has announced for seven days of mourning for those who has lost their lives.

Janaúba is in the north of the state of Minas Gerais and has about 70,000 inhabitants.

Harrowing footage from outside the nursery shows desperate parents in tears as emergency crews work at the scene.

Police rescue helicopters were dispatched to support the emergency services.

Teams of investigators are already in the suspect's house to gather information and to try to determined the reason for the crime.

Janaúba city council has announced for seven days of mourning for those who has lost their lives.