A group of people suspected to be looters have been trapped under the rubble of the recently demolished Daula Hotel in Kano State.
The looters were allegedly stealing rods and other building materials from the rubble when the incident occurred. Two persons were reported dead, and several others are yet to be accounted for.
The hotel was one of several public buildings recently demolished by order of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The governor has pledged to reclaim government properties that he believes were “illegally sold out.”
According to eyewitness reports, the incident occurred when the suspected looters were searching for iron rods in the rubble.
The Public Relations Officer for the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif confirmed the incident.
He said that his team had successfully rescued three individuals from the debris.
Yusif stated, “Our team rescued three alive, one had a fracture on his leg but his relatives have gone with him. Two left on their own after they were rescued.”
He further stated that they were informed there could be more people trapped, but the exact number would only be known after the rescue mission is completed.
Isah Ibrahim, a witness to the event said, “We were working upstairs and mostly these scavengers were down also taking one or two things. The problem is, when you are up there, they are trying to demolish the under which is very wrong.”
At the scene of the incident, members of the fire service, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), police, and the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Agency (KNUPDA) were all actively working on the ongoing rescue mission.
