Collapsed building tragedy: Man loses two children, three others injured

After working very hard to earn a decent living, it is expected that one reaps the fruits of one’s labour. The fruits of labour can be in the form of a car, a house, a valued investment or in any other form, an evidence or proof that one has worked hard and has something to show for it. But sometimes, due to uncertainties that life presents to people, what one has toiled for, for a good number of years, including those considered very precious assets, can be swept away, leaving the victim resignedly exclaiming: “Such is life”.

This seems to be the case of one Mallam Abdullahi Yusuf Limachi, who bought a plot of land close to the new extension at the Bauchi Airstrip area and constructed a building in order to provide a befitting shelter for his family as well as bid farewell to paying house rents to landlords. But things took a tragic turn for Mallam Abdullahi, when a destructive whirlwind, last week, visited Bauchi metropolis.
The house he had invested so much to build collapsed in its entirety under the fury of the destructive visitor. But Mallam Abdullahi and his household are not just mourning the loss of the building but are shattered by the tragedy of losing two teenage children to the incident that also injured three others who were in the house when the disaster occurred. The three people that were injured have been treated and discharged.
When Vanguard Metro visited the grieving Mallam Abdullahi, he said it never occurred to him that the structure of the building would develop a fault, asserting that the foundation of the building was properly laid and that he never entertained any fear that it would develop a problem later.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, he said it was a very trying moment for him, given the fact that he did not only lose a house, but he also lost two of his children, two precious lives that he can never be able to bring back to life. “This is the third time my house will be destroyed. The first time was immediately after I roofed the house.
Thieves came and removed the roofing materials after wind destroyed it. I repaired it with much difficulty and now the building has been destroyed again. When the incident took place, the building fell on my seven-year-old daughter called Fatima and another boy of eleven years. We attempted to rescue both of them, but unfortunately, they were instantly crushed by the falling wall of the building. My wife broke her leg, while two others were injured when bricks fell on them. They were admitted at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi,” he said.
Abudullahi, who looked very distraught, said that what happened to him was an act of destiny from the Almighty Allah and prayed to Allah to have mercy on him and give him the opportunity to rebuild his house again. He disclosed that as at now, he does not have enough money to start rebuilding the house and so need help from good-spirited individuals, government and organisations who may have heard of his predicament.
One of his neighbours in whose house he is now taking refuge, Alarama Musa, described the incident as most unfortunate but noted that it was destined by Allah to happen that way and also called on good-spirited individuals and organisations to come to his aid, by helping him to put back together the pieces of his life, especially in rebuilding his house.
“Nobody prays for bad things to happen, but when they do happen, it is expected that people should be compassionate and render assistance to whosoever is affected, because nobody knows whose turn it may be tomorrow,” he said

Source : www.vanguardngr.com