A sixteen-year old girl, simply identified as Amira, has died after plunging into an open well while using her mobile phone.
The incident happened at Ja’en, Gwale Local Government area of Kano state, on Sunday when late Amira was using her phone enroute home.
An eyewitness, Nura Ibrahim, narrated that the well was situated at the center of the street has no outer ring to protect people against falling.
According to him, late Amira was walking alongside two of her friends while pressing the mobile phone, but unknown to all of them, they came close to the well where she suddenly stepped on the frail cover and plunged into the well.
He said the screaming of the two girls drew the attention of passers-by who tried to save her using a ladder but to no avail.
He added that the residents decided to call fire service, but to their dismay, it took more than two hours before they arrived.
“Had they come in time, the girl would have been saved. Some of us tried to enter the well but couldn’t do anything as we almost suffocate.
“We called the fire service but it took over two hours before they came. They complained of traffic gridlock as the reason for their coming late,” Mr Ibrahim said.
Mr Ibrahim lamented how the well was left open without proper cover for safety of the residents, especially children.
When contacted, the spokesman of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, confirmed the incident, saying they received 16 distress calls at the time of the incident.
He also admitted that traffic gridlock was the reason they could not report to the scene on time until she passed away.
