Muhammed Musa Hadejia
A heavy downpour lasting more than an hour has killed two children and destroyed more than 20 houses in parts of Hadejia Senatorial District of Jigawa State.
The incident occurred in Gandun Sarki Community, Malam Madori Local Government Area, where a residential building collapsed during the rainfall, killing two children aged five and eight.
The father of the deceased, Mr Suma’ila, said the building collapsed in the early hours of the night while the children were asleep.
He added that other members of the family, including some females, sustained injuries and were rushed to Hadejia General Hospital for treatment.
Residents said the heavy rainfall also caused extensive flooding, with several houses either collapsing, submerged or surrounded by floodwaters.
One of the victims, Sani Abubakar, whose house was completely destroyed, appealed to the Jigawa State Government to urgently provide assistance to affected families.
The community leader, Malam Jamilu Bulama, said he had directed his subordinates to compile the names of residents affected by the disaster to facilitate an accurate assessment of the damage.
Residents, however, noted that the impact of the flooding could have been worse without the drainage systems and culverts constructed by the Jigawa State Government in the area last year.
The affected communities are now calling for urgent intervention to provide temporary shelter and other forms of relief to families displaced by the disaster.
