At least seven persons have been confirmed dead, while 53 others sustained varying degrees of injuries after a powerful windstorm swept through 13 local government areas of Jigawa State, destroying homes, schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure.
The Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Hannafi Yakubu Fagam, disclosed the casualty figures on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the agency’s headquarters in Dutse.
Fagam said the disaster affected no fewer than 5,403 households in 120 communities across Dutse, Miga, Gwaram, Birnin Kudu, Ringim, Kiyawa, Babura, Kiri-Kasamma, Buji, Kaugama, Gumel, Gagarawa and Sule-Tankarkar local government areas.
According to him, four of the victims lost their lives in Dutse Local Government Area, while one death each was recorded in Miga, Ringim and Sule-Tankarkar local government areas.
He added that the storm left a trail of destruction, damaging more than 47 primary and secondary schools, three hospitals, two police stations, residential buildings and other public facilities across the affected communities.
“The state government has already approved funds for emergency intervention and relief support for victims of the disaster,” Fagam said, noting that assessments were ongoing to determine the full extent of the losses.
He described the incident as a natural disaster that had inflicted significant humanitarian and socio-economic hardship on affected communities, stressing that the agency was working with relevant stakeholders to coordinate relief operations.
The SEMA boss appealed to international development partners, humanitarian agencies, corporate organisations and public-spirited individuals to complement the state government’s efforts by providing relief materials and other forms of assistance to victims.
He assured residents that the agency remained committed to ensuring prompt delivery of relief items and continued assessment of affected communities to mitigate the impact of the disaster.
Ibrahim Shuaibu
