Six workers rescued alive after processing mill collapse in Kano

Six workers narrowly escaped death after they were rescued alive from the rubble of a partially collapsed processing mill in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

The incident occurred on Monday evening, prompting an emergency response from the Kano State Command of the Federal Fire Service (FFS).

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service, Kano Command, Al-Hassan Ahmad Kantin.

According to the statement, the service received a distress call at about 6:45 pm on Monday, reporting that part of the commercial facility had collapsed.

Firefighters from the Danzaki Fire Station were immediately deployed to the scene, where they found that a section of the processing mill had caved in, trapping workers beneath the debris.

Rescue teams quickly secured the area and used grinding machines, shovels and other specialised equipment to carefully remove the rubble and reach those trapped.

After hours of rescue operations, all six workers were pulled out alive and given emergency medical attention.

“The successful rescue of all six victims without a single fatality is a testament to the professionalism, speed, and technical expertise of our rescue units,” Kantin said.

Preliminary findings by structural safety investigators indicated that the collapse was caused by excessive loading of heavy raw materials and stored inventory on the upper sections of the building.

The statement noted that the structural failure was limited to Milling Unit 1, preventing the collapse from spreading to other parts of the industrial facility.

The Federal Fire Service also said the operation helped save property valued at about N15 million, although the collapse destroyed parts of the building and materials estimated at N10 million.

Following the rescue, the Kano State Controller of the Federal Fire Service, Engr. Kazeem Sholadoye Oyefola, praised the rescue team for preventing any loss of life.

With the rainy season underway, Oyefola urged developers, factory owners and landlords to conduct regular structural safety inspections on their buildings.