Twenty children were burned to death in the fire of several school huts in Niamey. This was announced by the commander of the Niger fire brigade on public television. “Numerous huts caught fire and twenty children died,” said commander Sidi Mohamed.
“Rescue services arrived quickly and the fire was finally put out, but the power of the flames was enormous, which facilitated the general burning of the classrooms and the children could not get out,” he added. The origin of the fire is unknown.
Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou arrived on the spot on the outskirts of the capital. In Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world, to remedy the lack of schools, the authorities build thousands of straw huts where children attend classes, sometimes sitting on the ground.
Fires in these classrooms made of highly flammable materials are common in the country, but generally cause no fatalities.
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