Tragedy struck in Danbatta Local Government Area of Kano State on Tuesday evening after a Golf Wagon vehicle reportedly plunged into Tomas Dam, leaving four persons dead.
The incident was confirmed by the Kano State Fire Service in a statement released on Wednesday through the agency’s Public Relations Officer, ACFO Saminu Abdullahi.
According to the statement, the accident occurred around 7:10 p.m. after the Danbatta Fire Service Division received an emergency call from a resident identified as Suleman.
The vehicle, whose registration number could not be identified, was said to be travelling from Kano to Roni in Jigawa State when it veered off the road and crashed into the dam.
The fire service disclosed that 10 persons were involved in the accident, prompting firefighters from the Danbatta Fire Station to immediately mobilise to the scene for rescue operations.
“Our personnel responded swiftly and successfully rescued all the victims from the scene,” the statement noted.
However, four of the victims who were rescued unconscious were later confirmed dead.
The deceased were identified as Shamsiya Miko, believed to be about 35 years old, and Fatima Danlami, aged about 40, while two other victims had yet to be identified at the time of filing this report.
READ ALSO: Fire Guts Kano Polytechnic Main Library, Destroys Books, Records
Abdullahi stated that all the victims were evacuated to Danbatta General Hospital for treatment and other necessary procedures.
Preliminary findings by the Kano State Fire Service indicated that the crash may have been caused by a burst tyre.
Reacting to the incident, the Director of the Kano State Fire Service, Sani Anas, called on motorists to be more cautious while driving, especially along highways and near water bodies.
“We urge drivers to always exercise caution and drive responsibly in order to prevent avoidable loss of lives,” he said.
Anas also appealed to the relevant authorities to urgently repair the embankment around Tomas Dam to forestall similar tragedies in the future.
“There is a pressing need for the repair of the Tomas Dam embankment to protect lives and property,” he added.