A spectacular fire broke out on the evening of Monday, December 1, 2025 in a five-story building still under construction, temporarily housing the Elhadj Oumar Tall school, located in the Mafanco district, in the municipality of Matam.

Although no loss of life was recorded, the scene caused widespread panic among the hundreds of students trapped on the upper floors as smoke gradually filled the classrooms.

An improvised emergency evacuation

According to several witnesses, the flames quickly released a thick cloud of smoke, making the usual exits impassable.

Faced with the emergency, makeshift ropes were installed to allow the children to evacuate from the outside of the building.

Among the first to intervene, Bangaly Nabé, a parent of a student, recounts rushing there as soon as he was alerted:

"I received a call telling me that my daughter's school was on fire. As soon as I arrived, I didn't try to find out who was my child or who was anyone else's. I climbed the rope to help save the students. They had already set up ropes and we continued the evacuation."

Scenes of panic and heroic acts

According to the witness, nearly 600 students were in the school at the time of the fire.

Some, panicked, refused to descend along the ropes.

“I carried a disabled girl on my back to safety, as well as a little boy too young to get down alone,” says Bangaly Nabé, still emotional.

The dense smoke and intense heat made rescue operations particularly difficult.

"There was a lot of smoke and intense heat. It was only after the firefighters intervened that we were able to access the rooms. Fortunately, almost all the children had gotten out," he added.

One student injured and significant property damage

While no deaths were reported, one student was seriously injured after a fall during the evacuation:

"A girl fell and broke her arm. Several children were choking, exhausted or panicking," a witness said.

The school equipment suffered significant damage: desks, benches, books and supplies were burned to a crisp by the flames.

A school housed in an unfinished building

According to several local sources, the Elhadj Oumar Tall school had been moved to this building under construction after the sale of its former premises.

Lacking an alternative, the officials had installed the classrooms on the 4th and 5th floors of the building, which had remained unoccupied for a long time.

A situation which, according to some parents, already posed obvious safety risks for children.

"We knew the building wasn't ready yet, but there was no other choice," confided a parent of a student.

A rapid intervention by the firefighters

The firefighters arrived in time to control the fire and prevent the worst.

Thanks to their intervention and the solidarity of the local residents, the majority of the children were able to be saved.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire, which could be linked to an electrical short circuit, according to initial findings at the scene.