Site Engineer’s Warning Saves Dozens as Kano Building Collapses
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO — A timely warning by a site engineer is believed to have saved the lives of dozens of construction workers after a two-storey building under construction collapsed on Sultan Road in Kano on Friday morning, trapping four people beneath the rubble.
According to eyewitnesses, the engineer noticed signs that the structure was becoming unstable and immediately instructed workers to evacuate the site.
Most of the workers fled moments before the building gave way at about 9:00 a.m., preventing what could have been a far higher casualty toll.
One of the construction workers, Shu’aibu Yaro, confirmed the sequence of events, saying the engineer’s alert enabled many workers to escape.
“The engineer observed that the building was showing signs of danger and warned everyone to leave immediately. That warning saved many lives because most of us had already left before the building collapsed,” he said.
However, four people, including the building’s security guard and a commercial tricycle (Adaidaita Sahu) rider, were trapped under the debris when the structure caved in.
Rescue officials later pulled three victims alive from the rubble and rushed them to Sir Muhammadu Sanusi Specialist Hospital for treatment after they sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Rescue efforts were still ongoing at the time of filing this report to locate and evacuate a fourth person believed to remain trapped beneath the collapsed building.
The incident has renewed concerns over safety standards at construction sites in Kano, with residents calling for a thorough investigation into the cause of the collapse and stricter enforcement of building regulations.