Fire outbreak in Zamfara kills 17

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Sokoto Operations office, has said the fire incident that occurred in the Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State in the early hours of Wednesday, claimed 17 lives.

In a statement, NEMA said 17 others sustained various degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals.

According to the agency, preliminary investigations suggested that the fire was caused by stored sticks, locally known as “kara,” which were gathered in the vicinity of a school that had 100 people inside, mostly children.

The agency, however, failed to state if children were among the deceased and injured.

Meanwhile, the Director General, NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, has offered her sympathies to the affected persons and families.

She has also directed the NEMA Sokoto Operations office to collaborate with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other stakeholders for provision of essential support and assistance to those affected by the tragic incident.