May 17, (THEWILL) – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says it has recovered about 9 bodies from the rubbles of a collapsed bulding, rocked by a cylinder gas explosions on Tuesday morning, at Aba Road in Sabon Gari area of Kano State.
Spokesperson of the Agency, Manzo Ezekiel, said its Director-General, Mustapha Ahmed, was at the site of the incident and coordinated rescue operations.
The statement reads: “9 dead bodies have been recovered so far from the rubbles of a collapsed building beside a primary school, following explosions from a gas cylinder at Aba Road in Sabon Gari area of Kano.
“Director-General National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, was at the site of the incident and coordinated the rescue operations.
“He mobilised excavators being used for the rescue operations and said NEMA team will ensure complete removal of the rubbles to retrieve all trapped persons.
“Furthermore, the DG instructed the NEMA rescue team to remain at the site until conclusion of the rescue, and to work together with security agencies and other response organisations present at the location.
“NEMA is presently coordinating the rescue operations involving members, Nigerian Red Cross, military, the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Kano SEMA.”
Meanwhile, following the unfortunate incident, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has postponed its 58th Anniversary celebration tagged; “NAF Day Celebration 2022” billed to commence in Kano on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
Director of NAF Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, made the postponement known in a statement shortly after news of the explosion.
The NAF statement said, “The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Day 2022 Celebration, earlier scheduled to take place from 19-21 May, 2022, at NAF Base, Kano, has now been rescheduled to take place from 21-23 May, 2022, at the same venue.
“This was due to unforeseen circumstances. The NAF wishes to apologise to all its invited guests for the inconveniences the new shift in date may have caused them.”
At a briefing last week to herald commencement of the 58th anniversary, the Air force authorities had noted that the choice of Kano for this year’s celebration was informed by the weather conditions, which would be favourable for flying manoeuvres, as against that of other zones of the country currently experiencing rainfall.
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