ATBU shut as four students die, others missing in flood disaster | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
6th August 2019
The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, has been temporarily shut down following the death of four students in a flood disaster that hit the institution.
Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Muhammed Abdulaziz announced the closure of the school on Tuesday in Bauchi in a press briefing over the incident.
According to him, the incident occurred Monday night at Gubi Campus of the university in which seven students were also injured and several others still unaccounted for.
Abdulaziz, a professor, explained that the closure was to honour the victims, adding that the university would reopen on 19th August 2019.
The don said that the flood was as a result of several hours of heavy downpour which led to the collapse of the bridge linking the students’ hostels.
“The students were trying to return to their hostels in the midst of the rain last night when the connecting bridge between their reading area and their hostels collapsed and the students drowned.
“While the full details of the occurrence are being awaited, others who were injured in the incident are currently receiving treatment in the university medical center,” he said.
Though sources on campus said four of the students had died, the university chief said that the missing ones were yet to be ascertained, but added that some students Identification Cards were recovered within the campus.
He said that fire fighters and other security operatives have been drafted to the campus on search and rescue operation.
Several students were believed to be crossing the collapsed metal bridge at the time.