Haiti: 15 children die in
orphanage fire
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| At least 15 children die in an orphanage fire in Haiti (ANSA) |
15 children die in a fire that raged through an orphanage in
Haiti on Friday.
By Vatican News
Childcare workers at the scene of the fire say about half
the number of children killed were babies or toddlers. The others were under 10
years old.
All of them were orphans living in a children’s home
situated outside the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. The home was run by a
US-based nonprofit religious group called The Church of Bible Understanding.
Witnesses say that orphanage had been using candles to
provide light because the generator was faulty. Officials are investigating
whether an overturned candle could have caused the blaze.
The Haitian government has closed around 160 unofficial
orphanages over the past five years. Several hundred more continue to operate
without legal authorization.
A number of orphanages, known in Haiti as “children’s
centres”, were established following the 2010 earthquake.
Children housed at these orphanages either lost one or both
parents in the earthquake, or were left there because their families simply
cannot afford to support them.
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