Father, son, 2 others die inside dam during cleaning exercise
Story by Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi
Four workers of the Bauchi State Government Urban Water Supply at Gubi Dam have lost their lives while performing routine cleaning.
According to reports, a father with his son and a soon to be groom were among the deceased.
The Bauchi State Police Command has confirmed the incident in a statement by spokesman, CSP Mohammed Ahmed Wakil, on Sunday night.
The command further identified the four victims who lost their lives in the cleaning sludge at the Gubi Dam water treatment facility to include Shayibu Hamza (48), Abdulmalik Yahya (29), Jamilu Inusa (29) and Ibrahim Musa (42).
Wakil said, “A tragic event unfolded at the Gubi Dam Water Treatment Plant, resulting in the unfortunate loss of four dedicated staff members during a sludge cleaning operation in the plant’s tunnels.
“This incident underlines the urgent need for reinforcing workplace safety practices and strict adherence to established protocols.
“The sludge cleaning operation commenced around 12:00pm. During the procedure, the staff members entered the clarifier to dislodge pit pipes but were tragically overwhelmed during the exercise and subsequently retrieved unconscious.
“Despite immediate medical interventions, they were pronounced dead at Specialist Hospital Bauchi,” he said.
Wakil said that when the police received information about the incident, it deployed personnel to the site. The bodies were recovered while investigation is underway to ascertain the specifics surrounding this occurrence.
He said that the management of the water treatment plant is fully cooperating with relevant authorities to facilitate a comprehensive and transparent review. “This incident serves as a critical reminder of the importance of prioritising safety in the water treatment sector.
“It underscores the responsibility of both employers and employees to emphasise and adhere to established safety protocols to mitigate future risks.
“The Bauchi State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu extends heartfelt condolences to the management of the Gubi Dam Water Treatment Plant, as well as to the families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased.
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“We hope for comfort and strength for their families during this challenging time, and we remain committed to supporting improvements in safety standards.”
Some workers of the Gubi treatment plant said that among the deceased included a father and his son who were part of the cleaning team.
Also, one of the workers of the agency, under the Ministry of Water Resources said that two among them were permanenf staff while two others were casual workers.
He said, “It happened that they were cleaning the water system where the water that supplies the Bauchi metropolis is being treated. I learnt that they were in a reservoir and they saw fishes inside the dirty water.
“One of them was trying to catch a fish. The fish was going deep, he followed and died in the process, one colleague who saw what happened tried to rescue him also died.
“Also, the third person was rescuing the second colleague while the fourth person tried to save them before he fell off and died, four of them have been buried today (Sunday).
He said that one of the workers was planning his wedding before the incident occurred.
All effort to reach the Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Nuhu Zaki, and the General Manager, Bauchi State Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation, Engineer Aminu Aliyu Gital, were not successful as they are yet to respond to calls and text messages at the time of filing this report.
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