By Amah
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The Achalla Agu community in Nkpor Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State has been hit by tragedy as two persons were killed in a flood disaster that occurred at Ugwu Mkpume Layout.
One of the victims, who was said to be a mother of three and one other person were reportedly asleep when the flood suddenly broke into their separate apartments and swept them away.
Their remains were later found dead in another part of the community.
It was gathered that the flooding was caused by the over 11-hour rains that fell on Thursday till in the early hours of Friday, submerging many buildings in the area.
Several properties estimated to be worth millions of naira were also destroyed even as farmlands were washed away by the flood.
Ifeanyi Oghota, the Vice President of the Landlords’ Association, described the incident as unfortunate.
He lamented the wrong channelling of the flood by the construction company that handled the road project at Inland doors Nkpor-Umuoji Road, which has turned the good intentions of the state government in to sorrow.
“The damage is regrettable. We have not witnessed this type of flood in our community in 25 years,” Oghota said.
“It is regrettable what the bad work of the construction company has caused to us and we appealed to the state government to come to our aid.”
One of the landlords recounted: “The floods pulled down many fences and walls. It also broke into a building where a family of five were living. The flood entered their apartment while they were asleep, and carried the mother and her three children away, their father managed to escape it. It was in the morning that residents saw the lifeless body of the woman.
“The bodies of the three children were also found somewhere else in another location, fortunately, they were still alive as of the time they were found and they were quickly rushed to the emergency unit at the Royal Hospital, Nkpor, where they are recovering.
“A lifeless body of another yet-to-be-identified man was also found in the flood. He must have also been swept away from his compound to that place. The losses as a result of the flood are very devastating and heartbroken. Houses were submerged and properties were destroyed. We have never experienced this type in the last 25 years.”
He also blamed the road construction for the disaster.
“It is caused by the construction firm that channelled floods coming from Ogidi, Umunachi, Eke Nkpor and Obosi to the layout that has no Sacamori that can accommodate such heavy floods instead of channelling it to the River Niger. The Member representing the community in the House has been notified and the community has been asked to write a letter of complaint and send it to Awka, we expect the relevant authorities to look into this situation,” he said.
