Five people, including four construction workers and a 14-year-old student, have died after two buildings collapsed in separate incidents in Kano State.
The Kano State Fire Service said 11 others were rescued following the incidents, which occurred on Saturday in Gaida, Kumbotso Local Government Area, and Kurna, Fagge Local Government Area.
The Director of the Fire Service, Sani Anas, disclosed the casualties in a statement issued by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Saminu Abdullahi, on Sunday.
The first incident occurred at about 2:34 p.m. at Gaida, where a building under construction measuring about 50 feet by 50 feet collapsed, trapping six workers.
According to Anas, two workers, Muhammad Hassan, 17, and Khalid Abubakar, 19, were rescued alive.
The remaining four workers were pulled from the rubble unconscious and rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, where doctors later confirmed them dead.
The deceased were identified as Sunusi Siraju, 18; Bashir Ibrahim, 20; Ibrahim, 26; and Abubakar, 30.
Their bodies were subsequently handed over to Inspector Adamu Garba of the Kofar Wambai Police Division.
Hours later, at about 2:40 p.m., another building, an Islamiyya school known as Khalid Idris Bala, collapsed in Kurna, behind a primary school in Fagge.
The Fire Service said eight students were rescued alive, while another student was pulled from the rubble unconscious and later pronounced dead.
The deceased was identified as 14-year-old Khadija Muhammad.
The rescued students included Hassana Issa, Usaina Issa and Zuleyhat M. Gambu, all 13; Nawara Yahya, Nuseiba Issa and Hasia Munir, all 12; Khadija Issa, 15; and Hadiza Haruna, 12.
The rescued students were handed over to the school’s headmaster, Muhammad Gambu-Usman.
The Fire Service said investigations were underway to determine the causes of both building collapses.
Anas urged property owners, contractors and construction workers to comply with approved building standards and observe necessary safety measures to prevent similar tragedies.
(The Whistler)
