Mother, three children killed in Zaria building collapse

A mother and her three children have died after a mud wall collapsed on their home in Zaria City, following a period of heavy rainfall.

The incident, which occurred in the Karauka area in the early hours of Wednesday morning, claimed the lives of Habiba Nuhu, two of her children, and a grandson.

Her husband, Nuhu Dogara, was pulled from the rubble alive and taken to a hospital for treatment. He was discharged shortly before the funeral prayers for the deceased.

Daily Trust reported that a relative, Ahmed Ibrahim, confirmed that the family was sleeping when their neighbour’s mud wall gave way and fell on their room.

“The victims died on the spot, because they were covered by rubble,” he said. Ibrahim identified the children and grandchildren as Hauwa’u Nuhu, Aina’u Nuhu, and Za’uma, respectively.

Bello Garba, the Zone 1 Coordinator for the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said he had not been officially notified of the collapse but vowed to follow up for an immediate assessment.

Related Incident in Katsina

The tragedy in Zaria is one of the recent cases in northern Nigeria, often exacerbated by heavy rains.

In a separate incident in Katsina state earlier this month, a mother and her five children were killed when their home collapsed during a torrential downpour in Dankama village.

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The family was asleep at the time, and four other people were injured. The father, Muhammad Garba, who was not at home, described the tragedy as “the will of Allah.” The building, a traditional family home, was said to have been weakened by the rain.

The Katsina State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has confirmed the incident and deployed staff to the site to provide assistance and investigate the structural failure.

The incident further brought to light concerns about building standards and safety regulations, particularly for new and commercial constructions.