Abuja:
At least 17 children died in a fire in an Islamic school located in the northwestern area of Nigeria. According to media reports, the National Emergency Management Agency said that on Wednesday, this fierce accident occurred in Kaura Namoda district of Jumpara state. When the fire broke out, about 100 children were present in the school.
According to the agency, seventeen children were seriously injured, who are undergoing treatment in different hospitals. The reason why the fire started is not clear yet. However, the agency says that the officials started investigating the cause of the fire on Thursday.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences to the families of the victims. He appealed to schools to prioritize the safety of children. According to media reports, fire in schools in Nigeria is not common. But the government was held responsible for the previous incidents which failed to implement the recommendations of ‘safe school initiative’. These recommendations were prepared in 2014 for the safety of schools and students.
Tinubu ordered regulatory officials to ensure compliance of instructions. Last month, an improvised explosive device exploded in a school on the outskirts of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. In which two people died and two others were injured.