Four people have lost their lives after a Golf Wagon vehicle plunged into Tomas Dam in Danbatta Local Government Area of Kano State on Tuesday evening.
The incident was confirmed by the Kano State Fire Service in a statement released on Wednesday by the agency’s spokesperson, ACFO Saminu Abdullahi.
According to the statement, the accident happened around 7:10 p.m. after the Danbatta Fire Service Division received an emergency alert from a resident, Suleman.
Abdullahi explained that the vehicle, whose registration number could not be identified, was travelling from Kano to Roni in Jigawa State when it veered into the dam.
The statement revealed that 10 passengers were involved in the crash.
“Firefighters from the Danbatta Fire Station promptly responded to the scene and successfully extricated all the victims,” the statement said.
The agency added that four victims were rescued unconscious and later pronounced dead.
The deceased were identified as Shamsiya Miko, believed to be about 35 years old, and Fatima Danlami, aged around 40, while two other victims had yet to be identified at the time of filing this report.
Abdullahi said all victims were taken to Danbatta General Hospital for treatment and other necessary procedures.
Preliminary findings by the agency linked the crash to a burst tyre.
“The incident involved 10 persons, and our personnel responded immediately after receiving the distress call,” the statement added.
The Director of the Kano State Fire Service, Sani Anas, urged motorists to drive cautiously, especially on highways and around waterways.
“We are appealing to drivers to always drive carefully and responsibly to avoid needless loss of lives,” he said.
He also appealed to relevant authorities to urgently rehabilitate the Tomas Dam embankment to avert similar incidents.
“There is an urgent need for authorities concerned to repair the Tomas Dam embankment in order to safeguard lives and property,” Anas added.
