Fire breaks out at a school in northern Nigeria, killing at least 17 children

ABUJA, Nigeria — At least 17 children were killed in a fire that broke out in an Islamic school in northwestern Nigeria, the country's emergency response agency said, as authorities launched an investigation into the cause on Thursday.

About 100 children were at the school when the fire broke out on Wednesday in the Kaura Namoda district of Zamfara state, the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement. Seventeen children were seriously injured and were being treated at different hospitals, the agency said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. Preliminary findings, however, suggest that the fire was caused by a stockpile of sticks used for oral hygiene, locally known as ''kara,'' which were gathered in the vicinity of the school, the agency said.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu commiserated with families of victims and urged schools to prioritize children's safety.

Deadly school fires are not commonplace in Nigeria but past incidents have been blamed on government's failure to enforce recommendations under Nigeria's Safe School Initiative, which was formulated in 2014 to protect schools and students.

Tinubu ordered regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with the directive.

Last month, an improvised explosive device detonated at a school on the outskirts of Abuja, Nigeria's capital, killing two people and injuring two others.