The Yalwan Rugu-Rugu community of Tudunwada Local Government Area of Kano State was thrown into sadness on Saturday after three sisters drowned when the boat conveying them capsized in Tiga Dam.
Daily Trust claims that Murjanatu, Atikatu and Bilkisu, affectionately as Amira, were killed on the farm while accompanying their brother Usman Abdulhadi, aka Abba, to help with the rice harvest.
Their father, Malam Abdulhadi Suleiman, 55, told our correspondent that the girls had finished their work for the day and were on their way home when the tragedy occurred.
They visited the farm with their brother to help him harvest rice. They completed the work satisfactorily and got on a boat to go home,” he said.
‘The journey was going on all right,’ he said, ’till the boat got to the middle of the water.
Suddenly the boat overturned. “Only their brother was inside the boat and he couldn’t save them all,” the bereaved father stated.
“People in the area desperately tried to save the girls,” he claimed.
Neighbours apparently rushed to the scene in boats, but the rescue attempts turned tragic when the boats brought to help also capsized.
“People brought three boats to try to rescue them but unfortunately the rescue efforts failed,” he said.
Finally a messenger was sent to Yalwan Rugu-Rugu to tell the inhabitants of the disaster and to request help.
News of the incident spread rapidly and some 200 people reportedly rushed to the location in a frantic bid to rescue the girls.
But when they were pulled out of the water it was too late.
The crash happened about 1pm Saturday and the remains were retrieved around 3:30pm, the girls’ father said.
“I never thought I would see such a tragedy,” remarked Malam Abdulhadi.
“I was devastated by the death of my three daughters and the whole community is in shock,” he said.
‘The village is quiet now, “This is a tragedy we have not seen in the history of our village and everyone is surprised,” he said.
The father said he had planned to see his girls pursue their education and eventually attend university schools.
“I never thought they would die at this time. “I thought they would continue their education and go to higher institutions,” he said.
But in his anguish, Malam Abdulhadi stated he had accepted the catastrophe as the will of Allah.
“I have submitted everything to Allah the Almighty and I pray that He forgives them and gives them Jannatul Firdaus,” he stated.
The girls have since been buried by Islamic traditions.
‘We tried everything we could to save them’
Malam Hussaini Saifullahi of Yalwan Rugu-Rugu, an uncle of the deceased, who was at the scene when the incident happened, claimed the family and people of the community made frantic efforts to save the girls.
It is Qadar (destiny), we have submitted all to Allah. “We did all we could to rescue them,” he told Daily Trust.
He stated many boats were used in the rescue operation but the efforts did not get the desired result.
“Three boats came to help to rescue them but unfortunately the rescue attempt failed,” he claimed.
Saifullahi appreciated the people of the community that participated in the rescue operation and attended the burial prayers of the three sisters.
He said: “We have received messages of condolences from different people and we thank everybody who came to help us in the rescue efforts and those who attended their funeral prayers.”
Confirming the occurrence was also the Chairman of Tudunwada Local Government Area and Chairman of the Kano State Local Government Chairmen’s Association, Hajiya Sa’adatu Salisu Soja Maijama’a in a statement.
The tragedy happened at around 2pm on Saturday when the boat carrying the girls capsized near Tiga Dam, she said.
The head of the council condoled with the family of the deceased and the residents of the area, praying to Allah to forgive the victims and give their families patience to bear the loss.
However, the spokesperson of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi told our correspondent that the service was not officially notified by the Tudunwada Local Government officials or residents of the community on the occurrence.
The agency first learned of the incident after seeing an announcement from the local government chairman on social media, he said.
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