At least one child lost his life and two others sustained serious burns after a fire engulfed a forest in the western part of Wau town on Sunday.

Udici County Commissioner Riziq Abdallah told the press on Monday that the children aged between 3 and 7 were grazing sheep in the forest when the fire broke out at around 3 PM in the afternoon.

Abdalla said the eldest boy died of his injuries after they were all rushed to Wau Teaching Hospital for treatment, adding that the two others are in critical condition.

The official said the cause of the fire remains unknown but assured that state authorities will conduct investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire.