10 university students perish in Peru restaurant blaze

In southeastern Peru, a deadly fire at a restaurant has resulted in the deaths of ten university students and left three others injured, local authorities reported on Friday. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon in the city of Huancane, located in the Andean region of Puno, near the border with Bolivia, during a birthday gathering.

The victims, aged between 17 and 23, were students from a teacher training college. According to a police officer, "Upon arrival of forensic teams from the police and prosecutor's office, ten bodies were recovered."

The students were trapped on the second floor of the Calma Tripa restaurant, a wood-and-brick structure, as flames rapidly engulfed the building. Local residents attempted to fight the fire using fire extinguishers and buckets of water, as reported by regional media.

Huancane Mayor Valerio Tapia stated to the national news agency Andina that the city, home to approximately 20,000 people, lacks its own fire department. Firefighters from the nearby town of Juliaca arrived about an hour later to bring the fire under control.

An anonymous local source suggested to AFP that an exploding gas tank could have triggered the blaze. Such incidents are not uncommon in rural parts of Peru, where flammable materials are often stored in unsafe conditions.

Author: Ethan Caldwell