How midnight fire kill 17 children, injure odas for Zamfara school

BBC News

06-02-2025

Dem don bury at least 17 almajiri children wey die afta fire burn down one school for Zamfara state, northwest Nigeria.
Di fire tragedy wey bin happun overnight on Tuesday, also injure 12 oda children for Kauran Namoda.
Chairperson of Kaura-Namoda Local Government, Mannir Haidara, wey confam di incident of di fire for Mallam Ghali Tsangaya Islamic school to tori pipo on Wednesday, say im go provide details about di incident later.
One eyewitness, Yahaya Mahi, tell BBC say di fire bin start for one house near di Islamic school, before e come spread enta di school.
"Initially dem bin quench am, but as pipo leave, di fire begin burn again. E start right in front of di door wia di students dey, blocking di door from wia dem go fit leave," Mahi tok.
Tori be say di fire spread fast-fast through di school wia many of di children bin already dey asleep.
Anoda pesin wey from di area, Abdulrasaq Kaura, wey tok wit tori pipo Channels TV add say na some sticks wey dem bin pack keep, wey dem dey call 'kara', na im cause di fire to spread.
According to Kaura, di fire burn like mad for about three hours.
Kaura say, "e happun for Makaranta Mallam Ghali, inside dia study hall. Na about 100 of dem dey for di house, afta dem carry di students comot, dem bin tink say nobody else remain for di house, na wen dem return afta di fire, dem begin see dia legs and hands, dem burn beyond recognition."
Many of dem bin dey trap inside di building as di fire dey burn.
By di time wey di help bin come, di fire don already kill many children.
Area pipo say many oda children bin injure and dem rush dem go nearby health centres for treatment.