Fire razes Benue school hostel

The male hostel of Government Secondary School (GSS) in Gboko area of Benue state was on Wednesday gutted by fire. Daily Trust gathered that the fire started around 8:30am barely few minutes after the students settled in class for the day’s lesson. It was learnt that the fire completely razed down the Green and Orange […]

The male hostel of Government Secondary School (GSS) in Gboko area of Benue state was on Wednesday gutted by fire.

Daily Trust gathered that the fire started around 8:30am barely few minutes after the students settled in class for the day’s lesson.

It was learnt that the fire completely razed down the Green and Orange houses of the students male hostel while part of the Red house hostel was also affected.

The school’s Principal, Mr. Francis Iorfa Tarkumbur, was yet to make any statement about the incident, but some students alleged that their JAMB/WAEC/NECO documents, cash, foodstuffs and other valuables perished in the fire.

Witnesses, who also helped fire-fighters to extinguish the inferno, said no live were lost, except that the incident had left more than 200 students stranded with no roofs over their head.

As at the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire was not yet known but affected students alleged that electrical power surge had been experienced in recent times.

The state Commissioner of Education, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, told newsmen in Makurdi, that an alternative arrangement would immediately be put in place for the affected students to share hostel with their colleagues.

Itavyaar promised to visit the school on Thursday for on-the-spot assessment of the situation in order to determine the next line of action.