Tragedy struck Gandun Sarki community in Malam Madori Local Government Area of Jigawa State after a heavy downpour on Thursday night led to building collapses and severe flooding, leaving two children feared dead and dozens of residents homeless.

The rain, which lasted for over an hour, swept through parts of Hadejia Senatorial District, destroying more than 20 houses and submerging several others. 

Many families were forced to flee in the middle of the night.Eyewitnesses said one of the collapsed buildings trapped occupants inside. Mr Sama’ila, father of the victims, recounted:“My two children, aged 5 and 8, died in the incident. Other female members of the family were rushed to Hadejia General Hospital.”

Residents like Sani Abubakar lamented the loss of their homes and appealed for government intervention:“We have lost everything. Government should please help us with shelter and relief materials.”

Community leader Malam Jamilu Bulama confirmed the incident and said a list of victims was being compiled for submission to authorities. 

He noted that drainage systems built last year helped reduce the scale of destruction but stressed that more preventive measures were needed.As of Friday evening, the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) had yet to issue an official statement. 

However, the Hadejia Zonal Public Relations Officer, Musa Muhammad, confirmed awareness of the casualties and damages, adding that the zonal office was monitoring the situation.

Background reports show that Jigawa experiences recurrent flooding during the rainy season, often worsened by poor drainage and indiscriminate waste disposal blocking water channels.

Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users