A section of the Girls Hostel at Kusaki College, Yandev in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State was gutted by fire on Thursday.
The outbreak, which occurred in Block B of the hostel, was attributed to an electrical fault. According to sources in the school, a spark from an overloaded wall socket ignited curtains and quickly spread to mattresses and other belongings in Room 4.
Students were present in the hostel when smoke was first noticed coming from one of the rooms, triggering panic before the alarm was raised. The matron on duty swiftly evacuated all the girls from the building. Staff members and students then battled the blaze with fire extinguishers and water until officials of the Yandev Fire Service arrived and completely put out the inferno.
Management of the college confirmed that no lives were lost. Two students who sustained minor bruises while escaping were treated at the school clinic and discharged. One room housing eight students was completely burnt, while an adjoining room was partially affected by smoke. Students’ properties, including beds, mattresses, boxes, clothes, textbooks and provisions, were destroyed in the fire.
The affected students have been temporarily relocated to the school hall, and their parents have been contacted. The burnt block has been cordoned off and power supply to the hostel disconnected as a safety measure.
