Man Dies While Attempting to Retrieve Burning Gas Cylinder From Well in Kano

A tragic incident has claimed the life of a 30 year old man who entered a well in an attempt to retrieve a burning gas cylinder in Gwarzo Local Government Area of Kano State.

The Kano State Fire Service confirmed the incident in a statement released on Monday by its Public Relations Officer, Saminu Abdullahi. According to the statement, the emergency occurred on Sunday at Saulawa Quarters in Gwarzo town.

Abdullahi explained that the Emergency Response Unit received a distress call reporting that a man had entered a well during an emergency situation. Following the alert, firefighters from the Gwarzo Fire Service branch were immediately mobilised to the scene.

The victim, identified as Ashahabu Ubale, was said to have entered the well after a burning gas cylinder was thrown inside. In the process of trying to retrieve it, the cylinder reportedly opened and released gas into the confined space of the well. This action displaced oxygen within the well, leading to suffocation.

Fire service personnel managed to rescue Ubale from the well, but he was found unconscious at the time of rescue. Despite efforts to save him, he was later confirmed dead.

Following the incident, the body of the deceased was handed over to a police officer, PC Muhammad Zakiyyu, of the Gwarzo Police Division, for further necessary action.

The Kano State Fire Service expressed deep condolences to the family of the deceased and used the opportunity to caution residents against entering wells or other confined spaces without adequate safety measures. The service warned that such environments can be extremely dangerous due to limited oxygen and the risk of inhaling harmful gases.

Residents were also advised to observe safety precautions around open wells and hazardous areas to prevent similar occurrences.

The incident comes amid growing concern over drowning and rescue related deaths in Kano State. The fire service recently reported separate incidents in which two children lost their lives after drowning in open water and falling into a well in different parts of the state.