Girl, 8, Dies After Falling On Iron Rod At Kano Construction Site

An eight-year-old girl, Siyama Idris, has died after accidentally falling onto an exposed iron rod at a road and drainage construction site in the Tudun Wada area of Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.

An eyewitness, Abdulrashid Yusuf, said the tragic incident occurred on Saturday near Tudun Wada Primary School, where road reconstruction and drainage expansion work is currently underway.

Yusuf told Solacebase that the girl had been sent to a nearby shop to buy an item for iftar when the accident happened.

“The girl, Siyama Idris, was sent to buy something at a shop for iftar,” he said.

According to him, residents often cross the drainage under construction using a temporary wooden plank because there is no proper pedestrian bridge.

“To cross the drainage, people normally use a gadar katako, which is just a wooden plank placed across the drainage,” he explained.

He said the child lost her balance while trying to cross near the construction area and fell onto an exposed iron rod used in the drainage structure.

“The iron rod was not covered. When she fell, it penetrated her stomach,” Yusuf said.

The eyewitness added that the girl died instantly at the scene before she could be taken to a hospital.

Residents blamed the tragedy on poor safety measures at the construction site, noting that uncovered iron rods and open drainage edges pose serious dangers to pedestrians, particularly children.

The incident occurred just days after another accident involving a teenager in the state. On Friday, a boy identified as Ibrahim Umar, believed to be about 15 years old, reportedly fell into a drainage along Badawa Road, off Lamido Crescent, shortly after Juma’at prayers.

Umar sustained injuries and had to break his fast before he was rushed to a nearby clinic for treatment.

Following the latest incident, residents have called on government authorities and contractors handling road and drainage projects to improve safety at construction sites.

They urged that exposed iron rods be properly covered and safe pedestrian crossings provided to prevent similar tragedies in the future.