The dead schoolchildren were trapped by a fire that swept through twenty classrooms in a straw hut.
The tragedy occurred yesterday, Tuesday, around 3pm (4pm local time) in a suburban area near the airport of Niamey, the capital, according to Sidi Mohamed, commander of the Nigerien fire brigade.
Speaking on state television, he explained that “the rescue services left quickly, the fire was put out.” But “the fire’s calorific power was enormous, which allowed the classes to catch fire and the children could not get out, he lamented.
After the tragedy, the Prime Minister of Niger, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, visited to the scene and expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims.
TE/odl/lb/APA