Tragedy struck at the Bauchi Urban Water Supply and Sewage facility at Gubi Dam on Sunday, as four workers lost their lives during a routine cleaning exercise.
Among the deceased were a father and his son.
According to a staff member of the agency under the Ministry of Water Resources, who spoke anonymously with DAILYPOST, two of the victims were full-time staff, while the other two were casual workers.
“It happened while they were cleaning the water system where water supplying the Bauchi metropolis is treated,”; the staff member explained.
“They were inside a reservoir when they spotted some fish in the dirty water. One of them attempted to catch a fish that was swimming deeper into the tank. In the process, he drowned. A second worker who tried to rescue him also drowned. The third person went in to save the second, followed by a fourth who also attempted a rescue, but sadly, all four lost their lives.”;
The victims, identified as Ibrahim Musa, Shu’aibu Hamza, Jamilu Yunusa, and Abdulmalik Ibrahim Hamza, were laid to rest later that same day.
DAILY POST learnt that one of them had been making plans for his upcoming wedding before the incident.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the Commissioner for Water Resources, Nuhu Zaki, and the General Manager of the Bauchi State Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation, Aminu Gital, were unsuccessful.
However, the commissioner was reportedly present at the burial rites on Sunday afternoon.
Spokesperson for the Bauchi State Police Command, Ahmed Wakil, said he would provide further details in due course.
