A teenage boy identified as Salim, has lost his life while fetching water at the main plant of Sokoto state water board amid worsening scarcity in the state.
According to eye witness accounts, the incident happened around 11am on Sunday.
The boy was with his sister at the plant when he slipped and fell into one of the clarifying chamber of the plant which was restricted from public.
Another source said the boy was fetching water from the chamber in violation of the restriction.
“Salim ignored warnings from staff on duty and attempted to draw water from the clarifier when he slipped and fell in.
“The absence of adequate staff at the plant, which typically operates with a reduced workforce on Sundays, may have contributed to the inability to prevent the accident or rescue the boy in time,” the source added.
Angry youth were said to have attempted to harass the General Manager of the board who visited the scene but for the quick intervention of security operatives.
Confirming the incident, Engineer Mika’il expressed deep regret, explaining that the clarifier where the boy drowned was not meant for human access.
“Today being Sunday, we had limited staff on duty. The boy and his sister came to the plant, and our staff warned him to stay away from the area because the water there is untreated and not for public use.
“He ignored the warnings and tragically fell into the clarifier while trying to fetch water,” he said.
On the broader issue of water scarcity, Mika’il linked the situation to the collapse of electric towers in Yauri, Kebbi State, which disrupted power supply to the plant.
“But the Kaduna Electric company has assured us that power supply will improve soon.
“In the meantime, we are appealing for public understanding and patience.” he pleaded
To prevent a recurrence, the Water Board has announced an immediate ban on public access to the plant for water collection.
Salim’s body was later recovered from the clarifier.
