Reports indicate that 17 Almajiri students tragically lost their lives after fire engulfed an Islamic school in the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The inferno occurred on Tuesday night, February 4, burning for about three hours and resulting in many fatalities and injuries.

A local resident, Abdulrasaq Bello, stated that the fire started from a pile of stored sticks and quickly spread through Makaranta Mallam Ghali’s study hall, where about 100 students were present.

"It happened inside their study hall. They thought they had evacuated everyone, but after the fire subsided, they found legs and hands burned beyond recognition," Bello recounted.

According to a source, 17 deceased students were laid to rest on Wednesday, February 5, in accordance with Islamic rites.

Confirming the incident, Mannir Haidara, chairman of Kaura-Namoda Local Government, mentioned that he was on his way to the scene and would provide further details later.

This heartbreaking event sparked significant reactions among residents, who are questioning the safety measures in place at religious schools.

Families of the victims and survivors are urgently calling for intervention to prevent similar disasters in the future.