Kano school shut as fire burns 7 to death, injures 25

Seven students died while 25 others were   injured in an inferno that gutted one of the hostels of Government Girls Secondary School, Jogana in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State. Although cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, one of the students said there was no electricity supply when it occurred. She […]

Seven students died while 25 others were   injured in an inferno that gutted one of the hostels of Government Girls Secondary School, Jogana in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
Although cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, one of the students said there was no electricity supply when it occurred.
She said: “Most of the students had retired to bed when the fire started, so they were trapped in the hostel. We heard many of them screaming. Many of them were burnt by the melted aluminium roofing sheets.”
Another student said belongings of students in the affected hostel were completely destroyed.
The fire, it was gathered, started around 8pm of Sunday.
Kano State Deputy Governor Prof Hafiz Abubakar, who is also the Commissioner for Education, confirmed the casualty figure when he visited the school.
He also visited the injured victims at the hospital.
He condoled with families of the victims, while assuring those in hospital that government will take care of their bills. Professor Abubakar directed immediate closure of the school to enable the students and their parents manage the trauma.
He said government will soon set up a technical committee to identify the immediate and remote causes of the fire as well as offer advice on how best to repair the damaged hostel.
The deputy governor commended the school’s host community for their assistance during the incident.
He also acknowledged the contributions of companies in the area in managing the situation.