Multiple deaths recorded at Muslim retreat in Senegal

At least 22 people are believed to have died as a fire ripped through makeshift shelters at a Muslim religious retreat in Senegal.

Firefighters say the blaze broke out on Wednesday afternoon as worshippers gathered in Medina Gounass in the southeastern region of Tamba-counda and a stampede that ensued led to multiple injuries.

Local press reported that the fire ripped through straw shelters constructed for the multi-day event spreading rapidly through an open-air gathering packed with people.

Senegalese Muslims gather to worship at the site every year, mostly made up of pilgrims.

In 2013 Senegal was struck by a similar fate when a fire in a Qur’anic school killed nine children, triggering an outcry and calls for tighter regulation.