No fewer than eight Almajiri students are suspected to have died as a portion of Dukk Hill in the Badariya area in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State allegedly collapsed on them.

Confirming the incident to our correspondent, the headteacher of the Tsagniya school, Dan Umma, who was said that the incident happened on Saturday morning.

He said, “I am yet to know the cause as I was alerted by the cries of people at the back of the house only to see that a large portion of the hill has fallen on the Almajiris killing eight of them instantly while one was rescued from the rubbles and has been admitted in the hospital.

“The hill is just behind my house, housing me and the almajiris and this is the same place they use as toilets and also dig it to collect clay to mould clay blocks in preparation to build a small room for themselves,” he added.

Neighbours were at the scene of the incident to catch a glimpse of the fallen portion of the hill and to sympathise with the Islamic cleric.

The Dukku Hill is vast and stretches to residential buildings due to population expansion and accommodation problems.

The said victims have been buried according to Islamic rites.

Efforts to speak with the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nafiu Abubakar, were not successful as he didn’t respond to his calls at the time of filling this report. (The PUNCH)