Two young lives tragically lost in separate flood incidents at different locations in Nkwele Awka, situated within Anambra State’s Awka South Local Government, on Friday.
The victims, aged between four and seven, met their unfortunate fate while engaged in activities near the flood-prone areas.
According to reports, one of the children was swept away by the force of the flood as they were disposing of waste along the floodplain. The other child was carried away by the torrent as they tried to retrieve a slipper that had been caught in the floodwaters.
A local resident, identified only as Ify, shared details of the incident, stating, “In one case, a girl was sent on an errand by her mother to dispose of garbage. Tragically, she slipped and fell into a drainage culvert, carried away by the strong current of the flood. In the other instance, a young boy was walking near the floodplain when he lost his slipper. As he attempted to retrieve it, he was swept away by the powerful surge of water. Regrettably, his whereabouts remain unknown.”
The mother of one of the victims, named Ogechi, confirmed the heart-wrenching occurrence to a reporter on Sunday. Overwhelmed with grief, she expressed her inability to speak at length, saying, “I’m still grappling with the pain, and I can’t find the words to talk right now. My child went missing while returning from a simple errand.”
In response to the incidents, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, revealed that the command had not received any formal report regarding the tragedy. He characterized the occurrences as environmental disasters and pledged collaboration with relevant agencies to enhance safety measures.
