Umar Sale, a 28-year-old man, passed away after being buried alive while digging sand in a ditch in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State. The heartbreaking incident took place in Majia town around 2:00 pm on Tuesday, September 13, 2022. Sale was excavating sand with the intention of repairing his mud house, which had been partially damaged by heavy rainfall.
Adamu Shehu, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Jigawa command, confirmed the tragic event in a statement on Wednesday. He stated, “The father of three was digging sand from a ditch situated about a kilometer away from Majia town to fix his mud house that was partly destroyed by the heavy downpour recently recorded when the sand above him slid and buried him alive.”
Shehu continued, “His first cry for help was heard by some people farming around the area and rushed to his rescue. Unfortunately, he died at the spot because of the weight of the sand and his inability to breathe. His body was recovered and thereafter released to his family for proper burial.”
“Meanwhile, investigation revealed that the incident is not the first to occur in the same ditch, because there were recorded cases of similar death. As such, the community was advised in their best interest to refrain from extracting or digging sand from the ditch,” he added.
