DAKAR (TIP): A fire ripped through makeshift shelters at a Muslim religious retreat in Senegal, killing at least 22 people and triggering a stampede, firefighters said on Thursday.

The blaze broke out on Wednesday as worshippers gathered in the town of Medina Gounass in the southeastern region of Tambacounda, a senior official with the firefighting service told AFP.

The cause was as yet unknown, the official said.

Images of billowing clouds of smoke, the charred corpses of animals and devastation at the site circulated online, testifying to the fire’s impact.

While some victims were badly burnt, others were hurt in the panicked stampede triggered by the blaze, the firefighter added. (AP)