A 45-year-old man, Yusuf Usman, has died after entering a disused well converted into a refuse pit in Kwa Town, Dawakin Tofa local government area of Kano State, to retrieve a mobile phone.
The Kano State Fire Service confirmed the incident in a statement issued yesterday by its spokesperson, Saminu Yusif.
Yusif said the service received a distress call at about 11:13am from one of its personnel, Kabiru Tata, reporting the emergency.
He said rescue personnel were immediately deployed from the headquarters to the scene, where they found the victim trapped inside the well.
“The victim had reportedly entered the well in an attempt to retrieve a mobile phone that fell inside but could not climb out,” he said.
According to him, the rescue team pulled the victim out unconscious, but he was later confirmed dead, with preliminary findings pointing to oxygen depletion and excessive heat within the confined space.
The remains were handed over to the ward head of Kwa Town, Alhaji Muktar, for burial.
Reacting, the director of the State Fire Service, Sani Anas, urged residents to prioritise safety by ensuring that wells are properly covered.
He also advised that abandoned or unused wells should be filled to prevent similar incidents.
