A yet-to-be-identified tricycle operator has reportedly been swept away by flood while attempting to rescue a woman during a downpour at the Miracle Junction, Ifite Road, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The incident occurred on Monday night, with eyewitnesses saying the tricycle operator, believed to be in his 40s, was trying to rescue the woman after she was trapped in the flood.
It was gathered that the man slipped while attempting to reach the woman and was swept away by the raging floodwaters alongside her.
The lifeless body of the tricycle operator was recovered from a flood channel near Book Foundation, close to Miracle Junction, on Tuesday morning.
However, the whereabouts of the woman remained unknown as of the time of filing this report.
An eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Kelvin, said residents watched helplessly as the floodwaters swept away the two victims.
He said, “As the rain raged last night (Monday), accompanied by heavy thunderstorms, we came out to our balcony and saw that our fence had been pulled down onto an SUV parked inside the compound.
“It was from the balcony that we saw two women walking along the road beside the gushing floodwaters. In the process, one of them missed her step and was trapped in the flood and began to be swept away.
“The other woman tried to rescue her, but the woman she was helping was wailing helplessly under the rain. The commercial tricycle operator went down the road to rescue her, but when he got to where the woman was, the gushing floodwater swept both of them away.
“It was devastating. Neighbours around kept hearing their cries for help before the voices suddenly stopped. It was this morning that residents recovered the lifeless body of the tricycle operator from the flood channel.
“Although the body of the tricycle operator has been found, nobody could ascertain the whereabouts of the woman.”
The residents said security operatives had arrived at the area to evacuate the body, while government officials also visited to assess the situation and identify possible hazards.
A resident said the heavy rainfall and thunderstorms caused extensive damage in the area, including the destruction of rooftops and fences.
The resident said, “The heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, also pulled down the rooftops of many buildings and fences in the area, among other damages.
“Some government officials visited the area this morning and said a thorough assessment would be conducted to ascertain the extent of the devastation and other damages, as well as ensure that nothing is posing any danger.”
A government official at the scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorised to speak officially, said an investigation had commenced to determine the whereabouts of the missing woman and establish whether blocked drainage channels contributed to the flooding.
The official expressed regret over the incident and urged residents to exercise caution during rainfall, noting that blocked drainages could worsen flooding in the area.
She advised residents to desist from dumping refuse in drainage channels and waterways and to regularly clear drainages around their homes and business premises.
She warned that indiscriminate waste disposal and other unhealthy practices could worsen flooding and lead to avoidable disasters during heavy rainfall.
