The Kano State Emergency Management Agency has confirmed that five people, not eight, died in last week’s rainstorm that ravaged Bichi Local Government Area of the state.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Alhaji Isyaku Kubarachi, disclosed this in a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Thursday, clarifying reports on the number of casualties recorded during the disaster.
“Five persons lost their lives in Bichi as a result of the rainstorm, not eight as erroneously reported by some media outlets,” he said.
Kubarachi explained that officials of the agency visited the affected community to assess the extent of the damage before confirming the casualty figure.
“It was during the assessment visit that we were able to ascertain the actual number of casualties, houses and properties destroyed during the incident,” he said.
He added that the agency had completed its assessment and submitted a comprehensive report to the state government to facilitate immediate intervention for the victims.
“We have forwarded our report to the state government. As soon as we receive relief materials, it will be distributed to the affected persons as usual,” the executive secretary said.
The rainstorm, which struck Bichi on July 22, destroyed several houses and other valuable property estimated to be worth millions of naira.
Meanwhile, the Kano State House of Assembly has called on the state government to urgently provide relief materials to affected residents to cushion the impact of the disaster.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the member representing Bichi Constituency, Lawan Shehu, during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Jibril Falgore, on Wednesday.
