The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that 76 persons died in a boat mishap which occurred in the Ogbaru area of Anambra State following rising flood in the area.
The zonal coordinator of the NEMA, South East, Thickman Tanimu, made the disclosure in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka yesterday.
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He also said that three other people lost their lives in a flood incident at Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that a boat carrying 85 passengers capsized in Umunnankwo community of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Speaking on the incident, the NEMA coordinator said the victims were trapped by the rising flood and were trying to escape danger when the incident happened.
“People were thinking that it was the normal floodwater that would eventually recede, which is why they refused to leave their homes.
“What I suspected happened yesterday at Ogbaru, Anambra, 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, 9 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 at yesterday we recorded 79 deaths due to the rising flood, 76 in Anambra and three in Enugu,” he said.
He said airlifting was the only solution to the rising flood in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra.
Tanimu said the agency was in talks with the military in Onitsha and Abuja to activate the Disaster Response Unit (DRU) to airlift trapped residents in the affected communities.
“This will involve the Air Force and the Navy so that we can get an area view of the affected areas, see people who are trapped and airlift them.
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