• At least 19 people were killed and 21 injured when they opened fire on a crowd attempting to storm a police station in Madagascar.
• Security forces have sent reinforcements to restore order in the area.
• The trouble began when a crowd tried to break into the police station to take four people detained on suspicion of kidnapping an albino child.

At least 19 people were killed and 21 were injured when they opened fire on a crowd attempting to storm a police station on Monday in order to exact vengeance on suspected criminals.

According to a police statement, the shooting occurred in the town of Ikongo, about 330 kilometers (205 miles) southeast of the capital Antananarivo, and security forces have sent reinforcements to restore order in the area.

According to the police, the trouble began when a crowd attempted to break into the police station to take four people detained on suspicion of kidnapping an albino child and murdering his mother.

The child has yet to be found. Albino children are sometimes abducted in some African countries by people who believe they can be used for ritual purposes, though no information about the alleged abduction was provided in this case.

According to the police statement, the situation in Ikongo has calmed down, and the families of those killed in the shooting have been offered financial compensation by security forces.

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