More than 20 Nigerien pupils were killed Tuesday afternoon in a violent fire at their school located on the outskirts of Niamey, the city's fire department confirmed Tuesday evening.

According to the commander of the firefighters in Niamey, Colonel Sidi Mohamed, the fire broke out around 4 p.m. local time and quickly spread to all the classrooms built with straw, trapping students inside.

"We unfortunately deplore a lot of victims, more than twenty," he said.

Nigerien Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, accompanied by the ministers of the interior and of national education, went to the scene of the disaster and expressed personal and governmental condolences to the bereaved families.

"It is really a sad event," he said, promising that all efforts will be made so that "if it is a crime, the perpetrators will be brought to justice."

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