David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
At least one person lost his life while two others escaped death by flood after a torrential rainfall flooded Awka, the capital of Anambra State, yesterday.
Also, over 10 vehicles were swept into drainage canals as a result of the rainfall which began at about 5pm.
THISDAY gathered that an unknown man, who reportedly decided to seek refuge in a hotel in the capital city before continuing his journey the next day as a result of the heavy rainfall, mistakenly missed his steps while crossing the drainage and was swept away.
Residents of UNIZIK junction area who spoke to our correspondent said the body of the unidentified victim was found yesterday’s morning at Iyiagu drainage where the flood had dumped him.
“Usually, that place is where dirt is dumped when they get thrown into drainages. So this morning we decided to go there and check, and behold, we saw the man. He is a grown up man, and there was nothing on him with which we could identify him,” a resident of the area said.
Also, In Amawbia community near Awka, about 400 school pupils were cut off from their school as they could not access their schools after a major drainage in the area was cut by the flood.
Meanwhile, two children were saved from untimely death last week by workers at a building site after a heavy rain swept them into a gully as they were coming back from the farm.
According to one of the children, Miss Tochi Nwanna, who is 16 years old: “We were carrying fire wood and the flood was too much and we did not know where to step on and suddenly my younger brother fell into the flood and when I tried to hold him, I did not know how I fell into the running water.”
In addition, over 300 families have been sacked by the gully erosion occasioned by flood disaster in six villages of Amawbia.
The community has also been cut off from its kits and kins in the neighboring, Nise, Nibo, Umuokpu and Agukwu Nri towns
According to the Director Community Environmental Media Awareness (CEMA), Mr. Okey Maduforo, “the situation needs urgent attention by the state government before the entire community is sacked.
“Also affected by the erosion are Union Secondary School; Kabe College and May Rose Hotel as the link roads to those public facilities have become inaccessible to motorists and other road users in Adebebe village.”
