Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Eleven young people, mostly teenagers, who were hunting small animals died in a fire that swept through a sugarcane field in Venezuela, authorities said Friday.
Investigators said those who died were trying to catch rabbits and iguanas fleeing a controlled burn Thursday afternoon before strong winds drove the flames in their direction, trapping them.
Attorney General Tarek William Saab said in a national TV broadcast that residents of the community have hunted animals that way for decades.
The fire got out of control in Cagua in Aragua state, 110 kilometers (68 miles) southwest of the capital of Caracas.
Authorities are investigating.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.