About eleven people were on Monday confirmed dead following a fire outbreak at an Internally Displaces Peoples camp in Rann, Borno state.
Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and health workers said the fire incident started at 10.27 am and lasted to about 3pm at the displaced persons camp in Rann, the headquarters of the Kala- Balge LGA.
A medic who works with a humanitarian aids group told newsmen that, “we have counted at least 11 displaced persons who died. Many were severely burnt and are currently in critical conditions; we are trying our best to restore them.”
He said the fire could not be put out early mainly because of shortage of water at the camp. “We are facing many challenges here, “ the medic said.
Meanwhile, Bashir Idris Garga, the Northeast Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, also confirmed the incidents but differed on the casualty figure.
“Update from Rann: Deaths: 5 persons (3 women and 2 children) and several people sustained burns. 200 shelters destroyed. Several livestock destroyed but source of fire outbreak unknown.”
