One dead, two injured in new fire at Bindisi camp, Central Darfur

A Koran student died and two others sustained burns at the Bindisi camp for the displaced in Central Darfur on Sunday.

“Since three weeks, fires are breaking out in the camp for reasons unknown,” a camp sheikh reported to Radio Dabanga.

“Between 2 and 3pm on Sunday, a fire that started at the camp’s Koran school, led to the death of one student, and the injury of two others. The blaze spread quickly to the adjacent shelters, and destroyed about 50 homes,” he said. “We were unable to distinguish it well, because of the lack of water in the camp.”

The sheikh explained that the fires have destroyed more than 300 shelters until now. “The displaced are extremely worried. About 70 people left and sought refuge in other camps.

“Many are convinced that the fires are caused by arson. They accuse the authorities of deliberately setting the fires, in order to dismantle the camps. Yet, others attribute the fires to natural causes.”

He appealed to the authorities and Unamid to intervene and launch an investigation “to find out the truth and to stop the continuing breaking out of fires in the camp”.