By Izunna Okafor, Awka
It was a terrific scene on Tuesday in Anambra State, as heavy flood swept away a woman in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of the State, following a heavy downpour that badgered during the day.
According to eyewitness, the incident happened at about 11:49pm after the victim came out from the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) where she went to perform some transactions.
It was gathered that, as a result of the heavy rain, the deceased, identified as Mrs. Onyinye Okafor, packed her motorcycle at a location and boarded a tricycle to the FCMB, after which she boarded another tricycle to go back. However, it was said that heavy flood on the road started quaking and affecting the movement of their tricycle, to the point that the tricyclist missed the track and lost the control of the tricycle.
“Mrs. Onyinyechi, having sensed danger, alighted from the tricycle in the pool of the flood in attempt to save herself. But unfortunately, immediately she stepped down, she mis-stepped and fell into a drainage channel where the flood was flowing through; and the flood washed her away immediately.
“Some of her co-passengers in the tricycle and the tricyclist himself made efforts to rescue and pull her out of the flood, but to no avail, as the roaring flood eventually swept her off their hands and washed her out through the drainage.
“Many of those who attempted to rescue her also sustained varied degrees of injuries due to the effect of the flood,” the eyewitness said.
Continuing, the eyewitness said the flood eventually dumped the victim’s corpse under a culvert of a big drainage system at the Front Gate of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, where she was later found, after a hours and series of intensive search.
Mrs. Okafor, according to the eyewitness, was immediately rushed to Chukwunonso Hospital, Oko, where she was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty.
Further inquiries revealed that the deceased, Mrs. Okafor hails from Etti in Nanka community, Orumba Nouth Local Government Area of the State. She was said to be a mother of five.
All efforts to get the confirmation and reactions of the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ikenga Tochukwu; and those of the State Commissioner for Environment, Engr. Felix Odimegwu, on the incident, proved abortive, as they were yet to respond to their calls and text messages as at the time of this publication.
