At least 26 students were killed Monday when their school in southern Niger's straw and wood classrooms caught fire.

Chaibou Aboubacar, the mayor of Maradi, confirmed the incident to local media, stating that scores of children who escaped the fire sustained severe burns and were being treated.

The majority of youngsters who died were between the ages of five and six.

Strong winds reportedly fueled the fire, and security authorities are currently investigating how it started. Three of the school's classrooms were destroyed.

Most schools in rural Niger are constructed of wood and straw, leaving them prone to spontaneous combustion.

According to Nagarta Radio in Niger, the death toll may be higher than previously reported.

In April, a fire at an elementary school in the suburbs of Niamey, Niger's capital, killed twenty students between the ages of seven and thirteen.

Niger, with a population of more than 25 million, is one of the world's poorest countries, with one of the lowest literacy rates in Africa.

Inadequate schools are frequently constructed of wood, straw, and iron sheets.