A tragic incident on Monday claimed the lives of 11 almajiri pupils in Yardoka village, Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State, when a sand heap collapsed on a group of almajiri pupils.
The victims, aged between 10 and 15, were reportedly digging sand to help their Quranic teacher mould blocks for a mud house when the incident happened around 1:45 p.m.
The deceased were identified as Muntari Abdulkadir, Aliyu Abba, Ali Umar, Mubarak Haruna, Usain Isa, Yusuf Shafiu, Mujitafa Jibril, Yusha’u Saidu, Aliyu Abdu, Hamisu Mohammed, and Ali Abdulmomini. They hailed from Yardoka and nearby villages in the Damau District.
Seven others — Umar Dini, Jibir Surajo, Usman Abdulmomini, Sagir Hussaini, Naziru Abdullahi, Aminu Alkasim, and Kabiru Lawal — sustained varying degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Yardoka.
A leader who spoke anonymously to Daily Trust confirmed the children were not working for commercial purposes but were assisting in a community effort.
“Nine of the deceased were not natives of Yardoka but were almajirai who came with their teacher to study,” he said, adding that the site is commonly used by villagers for digging sand during construction.
Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday to news men, said that police officers were deployed immediately after receiving a distress call from the Village Head, Alhaji Lawal Damau.
He said the sand suddenly gave way while the pupils were working, and buried them under its weight.
“A full investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the collapse,” Hassan stated.
He stressed the importance of safety protocols at informal construction sites to prevent similar tragedies and assured that the local and state authorities have been notified.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and those injured in this devastating incident,” Hassan added.
