By Berende Hassan Bola (U19mm1048)
A fire incident occurred earlier this evening, Wednesday, July 23, at Block F of ISCA-Rahmat Hostel, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The inferno started shortly after power was restored around 4 p.m., causing damage to personal property but no lives were lost.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that the fire began in one of the rooms due to a spark, though it was the smoke that first drew attention. The room was locked and empty at the time, so students broke the door open and used water to put out the fire. Gas cylinders were also removed to avoid any explosion.
Several items were burnt, including clothes, expensive jallabiya books, foodstuff, a laptop, a mattress, and expensive Hausa caps like Zanna that is said to be worth ₦15,000 to ₦30,000.
Security officers arrived quickly and disconnected the light. Although the fire service was called, students said they arrived after the fire had already been put out.
Muhammad, a 300-level Library student, said, “I’m just happy no one really died.” Another student, Abdullahi, blamed the school management, saying, “They leave hostel wiring for students to fix. This is why things like this happen.”
The affected students were not in the room during the fire, but nearby rooms also suffered smoke and slight damage. Many students are now calling on the school to take hostel wiring and safety more seriously.
Alhamdulillahi that no live was lost.
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