At least nine bodies have been recovered from the scene of Tuesday’s gas explosion in Sabon Gari area of Kano state.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in a statement said nine corpses have been recovered from the scene of the explosion.
NEMA’s spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel, said the Director-General, Mustapha Habib, who visited the scene of the explosion, coordinated the rescue operations.
Mr. Ezekiel said: “Nine dead bodies have been recovered so far from the rubbles of a collapsed building beside a primary school following explosions from a 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
As at the time of filling this report, excavators were being used for the rescue operations with many persons still trapped under the rubble.
The NEMA spokesman assured that the NEMA team will ensure complete removal of the rubbles to retrieve all trapped persons.
Earlier, the police command in Kano State confirmed the death of four persons, claiming that gas, not a bomb exploded on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government had clarified that the early Tuesday morning 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 is working on the matter.
The Commissioner assured residents that the government would keep the public abreast of any development.
