KANO: Seventeen pupils at a seminary in northwestern Nigeria died on Wednesday when a fire engulfed their lodging as they slept, police and local authorities said.
The fire tore through the hostel of an informal Islamic seminary in the town of Kaura Namoda in Zamfara state in the middle of the night, killing 17 children and leaving another 17 with severe burns, officials said.
“The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but investigations have commenced to unravel its source,” state police spokesman Yazid Abubakar told AFP.
Aliyu Abubakar Khalifa, the head teacher at the seminary, said around 100 pupils aged between 10 and 16 were sleeping when the fire broke out around midnight, but was initially put out.
“We sent the pupils back to sleep, but around 2:00 am (0100GMT) I heard screams and rushed out to find the lodging on fire and the pupils struggling to escape,” Khalifa said.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu sent his condolences and “prays for the quick recovery of those receiving medical attention,” his office said in a statement.
Zamfara Governor Lawan Dare’s office said he was “heartbroken” by the tragedy.
Informal madrassa called almajiri schools are common in predominantly Muslim northern Nigeria, where children from poor homes are sent to learn the Qur'an.
The children, who often live in squalor, roam the streets begging for alms between classes.
Attempts by authorities and local groups to reform the age-old madrassa system have not been successful due to opposition from traditional clerics.