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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 17 children were killed in a fire
that broke out in an Islamic school in northwestern Nigeria, the
country’s emergency response agency said, as authorities
launched an investigation into the cause on Thursday.
About 100 children were at the school when the fire broke out on
Wednesday in the Kaura Namoda district of Zamfara state, the
National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.
Seventeen children were seriously injured and were being treated
at different hospitals, the agency said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. Preliminary
findings, however, suggest that the fire was caused by a
stockpile of sticks used for oral hygiene, locally known as “kara,”
which were gathered in the vicinity of the school, the agency
said.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu commiserated with families of
victims and urged schools to prioritize children’s safety.
Deadly school fires are not commonplace in Nigeria but past
incidents have been blamed on government’s failure to enforce
recommendations under Nigeria's Safe School Initiative, which
was formulated in 2014 to protect schools and students.
Tinubu ordered regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with
the directive.
Last month, an improvised explosive device detonated at a school
on the outskirts of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, killing two people
and injuring two others.
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