Fire at school in Niger leaves at least 26 children dead

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – At least 26 children were killed Monday when the straw and wood classrooms of their school in southern Niger caught fire.

The mayor of Maradi city, Chaibou Aboubacar, confirmed the incident to local media, saying that dozens of children who escaped from the fire suffered severe burns and were receiving treatment.

Most of the children who died were aged five to six.

Strong winds are said to have fanned the fire, and security authorities are still investigating how it started. Three classrooms of the school were destroyed.

Most classrooms in rural Niger are made of wood and straw, making them prone to catching fire easily.

Nagarta Radio in Niger reported that the death toll may be higher than reported.

A fire in April this year at an elementary school on the outskirts of Niger’s capital Niamey killed 20 children between the ages of 7 and 13.

Niger, with its more than 25 million inhabitants, is one of the poorest countries in the world and has one of the lowest literacy rates in Africa, according to UN data.

Schools are insufficient and often made of wood, straw and iron sheets.