Flood claims one life, 2 missing in Zaria
Story by Susan Mbamah
A devastating flash flood caused by a heavy downpour has tragically claimed the lives of at least three people in the Tudun Jukun area of Zaria, with one body recovered and two others still missing.
According to an eyewitness, Mustapha Badamasi, also known as Dan Bakano, the unfortunate incident occurred on the main Gaskiya road near a church. Badamasi reported that the flood, which submerged a large drainage channel by the roadside, led to a series of tragic events.
The recovered body was identified as Yusuf Surajo, who was known as Abba. His funeral prayer was led by Imam Mallam Musa Umar Al Mishawi at Kwarin Dangoma. Al Mishawi noted that the deceased, a resident of Gidan Dangoma in Tudun Jukun, sustained an injury to his forehead. “His remains have been laid to rest this morning in accordance with Islamic rite,” he said.
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The search continues for the two missing individuals: Fatima Sani Danmarke and her 3-year-old baby, as well as the motorcyclist who was with them. Badamasi recounted the harrowing moments of their disappearance, explaining that shortly after the rain, a motorcyclist carrying the woman and her child hit the edge of the drainage.
“The woman quickly jumped from the bike and while attempting to cross the drainage by foot she slipped and fell along with the baby on her back and were instantly swept away by the speeding water,” he said. “Similarly, the motorcyclist was also flooded away by the water,” Badamasi added.
In a heroic but ultimately futile attempt, a good Samaritan who rushed to the scene to rescue the victims also dived into the water and was swept away.
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Efforts to get a statement from the Zaria Zonal Coordinator of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone went unanswered at the time of the report.
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