By Boluwatife Adedokun
About 76 persons have been reported dead in Anambra after a boat carrying 85 passengers capsized ferrying passengers from Onukwu to Nkwo on Friday, October 7, 2022.
According to information made available to
NAN by the National Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, South East, Mr Thickman Tanimu, 85 person’s boarded a boat and when trying to escape the rising water level, the boat capsized and led to the death of 76 persons.
Tanimu explained that it would be difficult to access the area due to the high level of water, adding that people refused to relocate despite the sensitization and warnings due to their thought that the flood will later recede.
He added, “The report we are receiving is that as at yesterday (Friday), the flood level rose above the 2012 flood level by 11 per cent. What I suspected happened yesterday at Ogbaru, Anambra State, going by the report we received from the State Emergency Management Agency is that the water kept rising and the people were trapped.
“They decided to escape the rising water and 85 of them jam-packed inside the boat which capsized due to the rising flood. It is very unfortunate because the flood has covered many houses up to roof level. Out of the 85 persons, nine were found and the remaining 76 are nowhere to be found.
“Also at Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area in Enugu, two men and a pregnant woman died in the flood. It is sad to note that as of yesterday (Friday), we recorded 79 deaths due to the rising flood; 76 in Anambra and three in Enugu.”
He disclosed that the agency talked with the military in Onitsha and Abuja to activate the Disaster Response Unit to airlift trapped residents in the affected communities.
“This will involve the Air force and the Navy so that we can get an aerial view of the affected areas to see people who are trapped and airlift them,” he added. “With the rising flood, airlifting is the only solution right now. Any boat that goes in there is likely to capsize because the flood has covered houses to roof level.
“The 82 Division of the military is preparing and once they get the go-ahead from Abuja, we will begin to airlift those who want to leave because our people are very conservative and they might refuse to leave,“
Recall that, the chairman, Ogbaru Flood Committee in Anambra State, Mr Ogochukwu Nwasuke, raised alarm for help about the death of over 20 persons caused by boat accident which happened in Umunankwo in Ogbaru Council Area of the state.
Nwasike said since when the incident occurred, no government agency had visited the scene to help recover the bodies of the over 20 missing passengers.
“Therefore, I am calling on relevant authorities to come to Umunankwo village to help them recover the bodies of the missing persons. Some of them may be alive but delay may put their lives in danger.”
He continued that it is difficult for some rescuers to visit the scene due to how the flood submerged the road.
While talking about the incident, Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga noted that he is not aware of the accident, saying that the command only received reports of flooding in Ogbaru and had activated its marine department so as to provide necessary support in the area.
The National Emergency Management Agency thereby implored residents in flood-prone areas to relocate to safe places, noting that the flood level rose above 2012 flood level by 11 per cent, on Friday.
