In Nigeria, at least 17 children were killed in a fire that erupted in an Islamic school in the northwestern part of the country. The country’s emergency response agency said about 100 children were at the school when the fire broke out in the Kaura Namoda district of Zamfara state yesterday. Seventeen children were seriously injured and were being treated at different hospitals.
The agency said preliminary findings 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. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident and urged schools to prioritise children’s safety.
