By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
The ravaging flood disaster across some local government areas of Anambra’ State has continued to take a toll as nine additional victims have been drowned to death by the flood.
This is as there seems to be no help in sight for the already traumatised and displaced residents of Ogbaru Local Government Area as the bridge linking seven communities and several camps in the area has collapsed.
Already, hundreds of persons already displaced by the flood disaster have been cut off from other towns and communities.
Findings revealed that six members of a family lost their lives in Nzam community, Anambra West Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The ugly incident occurred as the family were submerged in their house by a flood.
Also, two persons were found dead in an unconfirmed community in Awka North local government area of the state.
A trending video had shown youths of Nzam community pulling out corpses of the dead from their house and depositing sane in an upland area.
The bodies of the victims consisted of a woman, her four children and her sister.
A voice in the video said the family was already prepared to leave for a safe place before they were swept away by the flood.
Recall that 16 dead bodies including children were confirmed dead after a boat with a market woman and other passengers capsized at Umunakwo community while on their way to Nkwo Ogbakuba market, in Ogbaru local government area of the state.
Although, there had been conflicting reports about the actual number of passengers the I’ll fated boat was carrying as at the time the disaster happened government officials said it was 40 while others stated that 76 and another 81.
It was gathered that Anambra and Kogi States have recorded the worse hit by flood recently.
The National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA) during a press conference said that it has commenced aerial surveillance, using helicopters, to rescue trapped residents of the flooded areas.
The affected communities cut off by the collapsed bridge include Umunankwo, Mputu, Ogwuaniocha, Ossomala, Obeagwe, Akili Ogidi and Ogwuikpele.
Eye witnesses said, the bridge which had been wobbling since last Friday’s boat accident that claimed 16 lives earlier, finally caved on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
Further findings showed that the state government seems helpless in the entire matter as some of the camps housing the displaced flood victims have been taken over by flood.
The Atani camp has since been submerged by flood while victims of the remaining 26 camps scattered across the affected flood areas are in dire need of health, food and other basic materials such as bedding.
An indigene of Ogbaru who did not want his name in print said, “Besides the visit by the Transition Committee Chairman of Ogbaru, Hon. Paschal Aniegbuna, to access the extent of damage, no other government official came from Awka to examine the crash site.”
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He stated that “We have long been cut off, without anyone making any appreciable effort to assuage our pains. This is the only road that connects all communities in Ogbaru, but surprisingly it cut into two somewhere around Ofia Umuoga, between Ogbakuba and Umunankwo about two weeks ago, only for our governor(Professor Charles Soludo), to visit Ogbaru and stopped at Odekpe, very far from the site of the collapse ”
A candidate of the Labour Party for the House of Representatives come 2023 for Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, reiterated his call on both the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to redouble efforts in providing succour for the people of Ogbaru.
“In fact, the string of calamities currently being experienced by my people of Ogbaru goes beyond palliatives and relief materials by SEMA and NEMA. We are in dire straits and the Anambra State Government must step in and declare an emergency.”
The former lawnaker said, “We cannot have as much as seven communities and several camps cut off and still pretend as though the situation is still normal. Gov. Soludo and the Anambra State Government must put boots on ground and provide succour to the people of Ogbaru,” Hon. Ogene stated
