Fire sweeps through Niger preschool, killing at least 25 children

DAKAR, Senegal — At slightest 25 children person died aft a preschool successful southwestern Niger caught occurrence Monday, rousing outrage crossed the West African state implicit unsafe conditions for students.

Fourteen others were injured successful the blaze that devoured a thatched-roof schoolroom successful the metropolis of Maradi, the Ministry of National Education said. The victims were each younger than seven.

The deaths moved Niger to prohibition preschool classes successful straw sheds, officials said. Such impermanent classrooms person multiplied successful caller years arsenic the state has tally retired of abstraction successful sturdier buildings.

By Tuesday, authorities had not recovered the origin of the blaze and classes remained suspended successful Maradi, the nation’s second-largest city, arsenic the probe continued. Three days of mourning person been declared.

“This tragic lawsuit erstwhile again brings mourning to the Nigerien people,” Abdou Dangaladima, Niger’s caput wide of the government, said successful a statement.

Education advocates successful the federation of 25 cardinal person agelong criticized specified makeshift learning sites, slamming them arsenic overcrowded and highly flammable.

Another blaze successful April killed 20 preschool children successful the capital, Niamey.

“It is important that from present the authorities halt the classes successful straw huts,” the National Union of Teachers of Niger said successful a connection aft the April incident. The school’s manager told reporters connected the scene that the children had been excessively young to outrun the embers.

In a statement, UNICEF’s typical successful the country, Stefano Savi, said that “no kid should ever beryllium successful information erstwhile learning successful school.”