By Awyetu Asabe Hope
A man has died in Gwarzo Local Government Area of Kano State after attempting to retrieve a burning gas cylinder from a well.
The Kano State Fire Service confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Monday by its Public Relations Officer, Saminu Abdullahi.
According to the statement, the incident occurred on Sunday evening at Saulawa Quarters in Gwarzo town after the local fire service received a distress call from a resident, Alhaji Dan Gwarzo.
The deceased, identified as Ashahabu Ubale, reportedly entered the well to recover a gas cylinder that had been thrown inside while still on fire.
While inside the well, the cylinder burst and released a large volume of gas, reducing oxygen levels and causing him to suffocate.
Fire service officials later retrieved Ubale from the well unconscious and rushed him to hospital for emergency treatment. He was, however, confirmed dead by medical personnel.
The fire service expressed concern over the rising cases of drowning and related incidents across the state.
It disclosed that an 18-year-old, Yusif Malam-Gwani, recently drowned in a water pond at Bachirawa, Kwanar Madugu, in Ungogo Local Government Area.
Similarly, an eight-year-old boy, Abdussalam Ibrahim, lost his life after falling into a well at Kofar Yamma in Karaye town, Karaye Local Government Area.
The agency urged residents to exercise caution around open wells and water sources and to closely monitor children to prevent avoidable tragedies.
