**”Mobilizes to evacuate victims trapped
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq has expressed shock, grieve over gas cylinder explosion that claimed many lives at Aba Road in Sabon Gari area of Kano state.
A statement issued by her special adviser on media Nneka Ikem Anibeze quoted the National Emergency Management Agency under the Ministry to have announced that a building also collapsed as a result of the explosion where nine dead bodies have so far been recovered from the rubbles of the collapsed building close to the explosion site.
According to her, the Minister also commiserated with the families of the victims and the Kano state government over the tragedy, describing it as painful and calamitous.
“This is a tragedy. A gas explosion, a collapsed building, death of many victims and persons still trapped in the rubbles… this is a very sad incident. I sympathize with the families of the dead and the government of Kano state.
“The spate of explosions in the country recently is alarming and we call on the appropriate authorities to do something quickly to stop further explosions and building collapse in the country”.
The Director General of NEMA Mustapha Habib Ahmed has since mobilized excavators and is currently coordinating rescue operations at the site of the incident with the State SEMA, the Nigerian Red Cross, the Police, Civil Defense Corps and other disaster responders to ensure that victims trapped in the rubbles are rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment.