Two die in ditch incident, others rescued from well in Kano

The Kano State Fire Service has confirmed the deaths of two men following an incident involving an open water ditch, and the successful rescue of two others trapped in a well in separate incidents reported on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

According to a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the State Fire Service, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Saminu Yusif Abdullahi, the agency received an emergency call at approximately 9:36 a.m. from one Garba Sani, who reported a distress situation involving three individuals near a ditch along the ring road opposite Dorayi Babba.

Upon arrival at the scene, rescue officials discovered two men—Saifullahi Muhd, 27, and Halifa Abdullahi, 29—both residents of Gwammaja Quarters, who had followed a third man from Kofar Ruwa Market in an attempt to collect outstanding debts.

The suspect reportedly jumped into a puddle in a bid to escape, prompting the two men to follow. Both victims were pulled out of the water unconscious and immediately rushed to the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, where they were confirmed dead by medical personnel.

The bodies were subsequently handed over to Inspector Halifa Muhammed of the Kuntau Police Division for further investigation.

Earlier the same day, at around 6:01 a.m., the Fire Service received another emergency call—this time from one of its staff members, SFS Usman Aminu—reporting that two well-drainers were trapped in a well in Danmaliki Village near Chalawa Filling Station.

A rescue team was immediately dispatched from the Service Headquarters. Upon arrival, it was discovered that the workers had descended into the well without adequate safety equipment and were overcome by heat and a lack of oxygen. Fortunately, both men were rescued alive and later confirmed to be in stable condition.

They were handed over to the Ward Head of Danmaliki, Ali Alkasim.

The Fire Service commended the swift response of its personnel and urged residents to exercise extreme caution around open water sources and wells, particularly during the current season when such hazards are more prevalent.