Tech: Teenage robotics team from Burundi goes missing in Washington

The whereabouts of two out of six teenage members of the Burundi robotics team that reportedly went missing after a contest in the United States has been disclosed.

As an international robotics competition in Washington DC was wrapping up, the chaperone of the Burundi team was confronting his worst nightmare: he could not find his kids.

He looked in the college dorms where the six teens ages 16 to 18  had been staying. Their bags were packed and gone. Maybe they got on the wrong bus? They were gone

The six teenagers from a Burundi robotics team have been reported missing and two of them were seen entering Canada, that is according to the police in Washington.

The four males and two females were last seen late on Tuesday afternoon when the robotics contest ended at the FIRST Global Challenge. Authorities issued missing persons photographs of the six on Wednesday

The two out of the six teens have been identified by the authorities as Don Charu Ingabire, 16, and Audrey Mwamikazi, 17.

The males are 18-year-old Richard Irakoze and Aristide Irambona; 17-year-old Kevin Sabumukiza; and 16-year-old Don Ingabire. The females are 17-year-old Nice Munezero and Audrey Mwamikazi.

The rest of the missing team mates are believed to be in the U.S. and reports say they are having a good time with their families and friends in the U.S

The entire team was last seen at the closing ceremony of the event that hosted 163 national teams made up of students from around the world.

According to the mentor of the Burundi team, the team was given a one-year visa. The teamed ranked 73 after the competition were selected from a school in the Burundian capital Bujumbura.

An all-girl squad from Afghanistan drew worldwide media attention when President Donald Trump intervened after they were denied U.S. visas. They, however managed to win the contest.

The Burundi Embassy in Washington said by email that it did not know about the robotics contest or if a Burundian team was attending.

The whereabouts of two out of six teenage members of the Burundi robotics team that reportedly went missing after a contest in the United States has been disclosed. Read Full Story