No fewer than nine persons feared dead in a gas explosion that occurred in Kano State, yesterday.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs made this known while announcing the arrival of the Director-General of the National Emergency Agency, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, at the scene of the incident.
Earlier, the police command in Kano State confirmed the death of four persons, claiming that gas, not a bomb exploded early yesterday morning.
But the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs later stated in a tweet that the death toll had risen to nine.
“Nine dead bodies have been recovered so far from the rubble of a collapsed building beside a primary school following an explosion from a gas cylinder at Aba Road in Sabon Gari area of Kano State.
“DG @nemanigeria Mustapha Habib Ahmed was at the site of the incident and coordinated the rescue operations. NEMA is presently coordinating the rescue operations with sister agencies,” it tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government had clarified that the explosion in the Sabon Gari area did not occur in a school.
The state Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, said the incident happened at an animal feed store opposite the school along Aba Road, Sabon Gari area of Fagge Local Government.
He said while the cause of the explosion and the damage had yet to be officially ascertained, an investigation has since commenced to determine the cause, impact and measures to be taken.
Garba called on the people in the state, particularly those living in the area where the incident occurred, to remain calm while the government in collaboration with relevant agencies are working on the matter.
The commissioner assured residents that government would keep the public abreast of any development.
The Kano State Command issued a statement, confirming the explosion but stated that gas and not bomb caused the explosion that brought down a school building.
The state Police Commissioner, Samaila Dikko, in a short statementmade available to newsmen, stated that there was an explosion from a welder’s shop close to a nursery and primary school.
“The explosion brought the building down and people were buried in rubbles from where four dead bodies were recovered.
“It wasn’t a bomb blast. It’s a gas cylinder explosion. The seller’s shop is on the ground floor of the building where the school is located.
“So, when the cylinder exploded, it brought down the building and the pupils got injured. There wasn’t a bomb blast,” the police commissioner stated.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has disclosed that about nine bodies have been recovered so far from a gas explosion that rocked a primary school building in Sabon Gari area of Kano State.
A statement by NEMA’s spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel, revealed that the Director-General, NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, was at the site of the incident and coordinated rescue operations.
The statement reads: “Nine dead bodies have been recovered so far from the rubbles of a collapsed building beside a primary school following explosions from gas cylinder at Aba Road in Sabon Gari area of Kano.
“Director-General National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, was at the site of the incident and coordinated the rescue operations. He mobilised excavators being used for the rescue operations and said NEMA team will ensure complete removal of the rubbles to retrieve all trapped persons.
“Furthermore, the DG instructed the NEMA rescue team to remain at the site until conclusion of the rescue and to work together with security agencies and other response organisations present at the location.
“NEMA is presently coordinating the rescue operations involving members, Nigerian Red Cross, military, the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Kano SEMA”.
Following the sad occurrence, the Nigerian Air Force has postponed its 58th Anniversary celebration tagged NAF Day Celebration 2022 billed to begin in Kano on Thursday (tomorrow) and end on Saturday 21, 2022.
The event has now been shifted to begin on Saturday, May 21 and ends on Monday, May 23, with President Muhammadu Buhari expected to be the Special Guest of Honour.
Director of NAF,Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, made the postponement known in a statement shortly after news of the explosion emanated from Kano.
The NAF statement said,”The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Day 2022 Celebration earlier scheduled to take place from 19-21 May 2022 at NAF Base, Kano has now been rescheduled to take place from 21- 23 May 2022 at the same venue.
“This was due to unforeseen circumstances. The NAF wishes to apologize to all its invited guests for the inconveniences the new shift in date may have caused them”.