At least 17 students die in fire in northern Nigeria

A man carries a Nigerian flag protesting against the economic hardship on the street in Lagos, Nigeria, Friday, Aug 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

ABUJA — At least 17 students died in a fire in northern Nigeria’s Zamfara state on Tuesday night, a state police spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The students at an Islamic school in Kauran Namoda town in Zamfara State, who were between seven and 17 years old, died in the blaze while around 12 others were taken to hospital with severe burns, the police said.

Police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar said an investigation was ongoing to ascertain the cause of the blaze.

Hussaini Adamu, who lost two children to the inferno, said the fire started in a nearby house and spread to the Islamic school.

(Reporting by Ahmed Kingimi and Ardo Hazzad. Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha. Editing by Mark Potter)