At least 17 girls died as they slept after a fire swept through a private school dormitory in northern Thailand, a police commander said Monday, adding several others were either missing or injured.

"The fire broke out at 11pm on Sunday (local time) Seventeen girls were killed and two are still missing, with five injured" Police Colonel Prayad Singsin, Commander of Vingpatao district in Chiang Rai told AFP. 

The school is home to girls aged from three to 13 years old, he said.