Fifteen children died in a fire in an orphanage in Haiti, authorities reported on Friday. The fire sparks a debate about the hundreds of orphanages in the country that are run without a permit.
The fire broke out in the home from Thursday to Friday (local time). Two children were killed immediately by the flames, thirteen others died of breathing in smoke.
The cause of the fire is not yet clear. One of the children from the orphanage tells the news agency Reuters that candles were lit because the power was off and the electricity generator was out of order.
In total, about sixty children stayed in the orphanage that was run by a religious group from the United States. The group did not have a permit for the orphanage.
There are a total of 754 orphanages in Haiti, but only 35 are authorized. In recent years, the local government has closed approximately 160 homes. The government has also stopped the opening of new homes.
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