At least 17 die in Nigeria school fire

A gruesome fire killed 17 pupils and injured others at an Islamic school in northern Nigeria.

It is believed that the fire broke out in a nearby house on Tuesday night and spread to the school while the children, believed to be teenagers, were sleeping, the BBC reported.

“Even if the firefighters had come on time, reaching the house would’ve been difficult due to the tight road leading to the house,” a witness told the BBC.

The father of one of the victims told BBC Hausa that he was devastated but his faith in God was comforting him at this time.