Flood Sweeps Away Two Children While Disposing Refuse, Retrieving Slippers

By Babatunde Solanke

Tragedy occurred in Nkwele Awka in the Awka South Local Government of Anambra State on last Friday as two children were swept away by flood

The deceased, who were between the ages of four and seven, were said to have lost their lives while carrying out activities around the flood plains.

It was gathered that one of the kids was swept away by the flood while disposing of refuse along the flood plain, the other was swept away as he attempted to retrieve his slippers being washed away by the flood.

A resident in the area, who gave her name simply as Ify, said, “The mother had sent one of the victims, a girl, on an errand to go and dispose of their waste when she was caught up by the flood.

“She was pouring the waste inside the drainage when one of her legs suddenly slipped and she fell inside the drainage and was carried away by the heavy flood.

“She was pouring the waste inside the drainage when one of her legs suddenly slipped and she fell inside the drainage and was carried away by the heavy flood.

“The other, a boy, was walking along the flood plain when one of his slippers suddenly slipped away. As he was trying to retrieve it, the force of the flood swept him and to date, he has not been found.”

The mother of one of the victims, identified as Ogechi, who confirmed the incident to The Punch online on Sunday, lamented that she was too devastated to speak at the moment, saying, “Please, I am still in pains to talk now as I am still looking for my child who has gone missing while returning from an errand.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the incident was not reported to the command.

“The matter was not reported to the command. It is a pure environmental disaster, but we will keep working with relevant agencies to make sure safety is improved,” Ikenga said.

Source: The Punch online