Jigawa’s State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said 50 people, including a newborn, were killed in a building collapse due to a downpour in different parts of the state.

The tragedy occurred across the state at the beginning of the rainy season.

SEMA executive secretary Yusuf Sani disclosed that several houses were damaged or destroyed, rendering several families homeless. Many of the displaced people, according to the agency, are in 11 temporary camps.

“There is a camp around Kafinhausa that accommodates over 1,000 displaced persons. Some have over 300, so I cannot tell you the exact number because we are still taking people there,” Mr Sani said.

The worst-hit areas are Kafinhausa and Balangu villages, all in the Kafinhausa local government area.

“In Kafinhausa, six people died, 68 hospitalised, and 1,436 lost their houses. In Balangu, four people died, and 238 lost their houses,” said Mr Sani. He added that the SEMA agency got information about the death of seven people from the same family, including a newborn baby, in a building collapse on Sunday in Kafinhausa.

“From the report we have, if you combine, the number is getting to 50 since the commencement of the rainy season,” the agency’s executive secretary said.

He commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for its prompt response to the disaster by bringing succour to the victims.

Meanwhile, NEMA has begun the distribution of relief items to the victims in the six most affected councils of Hadejia, Kirikasamma, Kafinhausa, Birniwa, Kaugama and Malammadori.

According to the agency, the relief items are 7,650 bags of rice, 6,450 bags of maize, 950 cans of 20 litres of vegetable oil, 530 cartons of seasoning, 50 bags of 20kg salt and 6,000 bags of cement.

(NAN)