By Emmanuel Onyedika
The Federal Fire Service (FFS), Kano State Command, says it has rescued six persons alive after a section of a building collapsed at Whitefield Rice Mills Processing Company in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
State Controller, Mr. Kazeem Sholadaye, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, Al-Hassan Kanti, on Tuesday in Kano.
Kanti quoted his principal as saying: “We received a distress call from one Mr. Johnson at about 6:45 p.m. on Monday evening. Upon receiving the report, we immediately deployed our firefighters and rescue personnel from the Danzaki Fire Station. The rescue team used shovels, grinding machines and other equipment to remove debris and gain access to the trapped victims. Through the professionalism and coordinated efforts of our personnel, six persons were rescued alive from the collapsed building.”
Sholadaye explained that no life was lost in the incident, attributing the collapse to excessive loading of store items in a section of the company. He added that due to the prompt response of the firefighters, property worth about ₦15 million was saved while property worth ₦10 million was destroyed.
The controller urged residents, property owners and developers to ensure that buildings are structurally sound, avoid excessive loading of structures and promptly report signs of structural distress to the relevant authorities. He stressed the need for regular structural inspections and strict adherence to building safety standards to prevent collapses and safeguard lives and property.