Eleven children have lost their lives and seven others sustained injuries after a sand heap collapsed in the Yardoka community, located in the Damau District of Kaduna State.
According to eyewitnesses, the children were working inside the sand pit when its walls gave way, burying them under heavy debris. Despite efforts by local residents to rescue them, the attempts were unsuccessful.
The dead included: Muntari Abdulkadir, Aliyu Abba, Ali Umar, Mubarak Haruna, Usain Isa, Yusuf Shafiu, Mujitafa Jibril, Yusha’u Saidu, Aliyu Abdu, Hamisu Mohammed and Ali Abdulmomini, all from Yardoka and in adjacent communities.
Seven others – Umar Dini, Jibir Surajo, Usman Abdulmomini, Sagir Hussaini, Naziru Abdullahi, Aminu Alkasim and Kabiru Lawal sustained varying degrees of injuries but they have been rescued and are receiving treatment at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Yardoka.
The spokesperson of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), saying, “At about 1:45 p.m., information was received from the village head of Yar-doka, Alhaji Lawal Damau.
“It was to the effect that sand had caved in at a local block site, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals, with several others sustaining injuries,” he revealed.
He added that investigation into the incident is ongoing, “The local government and state authorities had been informed, and further developments would be communicated as the investigation unfolds. This tragic incident highlights the importance of ensuring that safety measures are put in place at construction sites to prevent such accidents in the future. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the deceased and those affected by this devastating tragedy,” Hassan said.
