A routine cleaning operation at the Bauchi Urban Water Supply and Sewage facility at Gubi Dam ended in tragedy on Sunday, as four workers, including a father and his son, lost their lives in a harrowing sequence of attempted rescues.
According to a staff member from the facility, who requested anonymity, the incident occurred while the team was working inside a water reservoir used to treat the supply that serves Bauchi metropolis.
“They were cleaning the system when they noticed fish swimming in the murky water,” the staff member recounted. “One of them tried to catch a fish that was moving deeper into the tank and got into trouble. A second worker went in to help him and also got into distress. Then a third, and finally a fourth, each trying to rescue the other. Sadly, all four drowned.”
The deceased were identified as Ibrahim Musa, Shu’aibu Hamza, Jamilu Yunusa, and Abdulmalik Ibrahim Hamza. Two of them were confirmed as full-time employees of the agency under the Ministry of Water Resources, while the other two were casual workers.
The loss is especially heartbreaking for the community, with residents disclosing that one of the victims had been preparing for his wedding before the incident took place.
All four were buried on Sunday, in an emotionally charged ceremony attended by relatives, friends, and colleagues. Reports indicate that the state’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Nuhu Zaki, was present at the burial rites, although attempts to speak with him and the General Manager of the Bauchi State Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Corporation, Aminu Gital, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
The Bauchi State Police Command, through its spokesperson Ahmed Wakil, acknowledged the incident and stated that more information would be provided as investigations progress.
The tragic event has plunged the local community into mourning and raised urgent questions about safety protocols and emergency response procedures within public infrastructure facilities.
