•As flood wreaks havoc
From Okey Sampson, Aba
A family of five were yesterday rescued after they were buried for about eight hours in the rubble of a collapsed three-storey building at Pius Anyim Quarters located in Ohuru Isimiri, Obingwa Local Government Area, near Aba in Abia State.
It was gathered that the family, whose identity could not be immediately ascertained, comprised the husband, wife and their three children. Reports said they had gone into the uncompleted building to take shelter from the rain, on their way home from one of their children’s graduation ceremony in a school within the neighbourhood.
As they were taking shelter, owing to the downpour, which wreaked havoc in parts of the city on Sunday, it was gathered that the building that was nearing completion collapsed on them and all five were buried in the debris. It took eight hours for them to be rescued alive.
The five persons who were said to have been rescued by the police from Ohuru Isimiri Police Division and assisted by some locals were rushed to a missionary hospital located within the vicinity.
An eyewitness who gave his name simply as Ukaonu said the incident happened at about 9:00 pm on Sunday. He said the man who was trapped in the building was a carpenter working on the site.
The witness disclosed that the man came into the building with his family when it was raining after his children had their graduation ceremony.
Meanwhile, a torrential rain on Sunday morning submerged buildings and property in Aba.
Almost all parts of the city were affected by the over six hours downpour, which largely prevented many people from attending church services.
The rains spilled over to yesterday. The worse affected areas include Amucha by Ohanku and Ibadan Street off Ngwa Road Ama Ogbonna, Dike Street by Garden Avenue, Off Okigwe Road, Ekeakpara and other parts of North and South Local Government Area of the state.
Unconfirmed reports from Ngwa Road had it that about three children of different parents who were reportedly swept away by the flood were yet to be seen at the time of filing this report.
Some displaced persons who spoke to our reporter, however, sent Save-our-Soul (SOS) to the state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia State Emergency Management Agency (ASEMA) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to come to their aid as they were yet to recover from the shock of the flood.
A resident of Agalaba Street in Osisioma Local Government Area, Charles Alili, narrating the incident to our reporter where he was taking refuge with his family said: “By 7:00 am (Sunday), we heard a loud sound. We thought it was thunder, but in less than five minutes, the whole compound was filled with flood.
“I know the carpenter who was trapped in there, but I only noticed his family were also trapped there just this early morning. As I heard, they went for their graduation ceremony, but couldn’t return to their home due to the rain. So, they were there until the unfortunate incident. The good thing is that no life was lost.”
Also speaking, one Wogu said it was the sound of the collapsed building that attracted people to the scene.
“We were at the other side of the road and it was almost 9:00pm when we heard a loud sound.
“We rushed and made efforts to see what we can do. We started breaking things to see where to pass through. Luckily, we heard the voice of a woman. We traced her voice and rescued her and her daughter with two of her children and the husband was trapped in there until this morning, when they were rescued and rushed to the hospital.”
Some who were at the scene of the incident, attributed the cause of the collapse of the building to use of inferior materials by the contractor and blamed the Town Planning Authority of Obingwa Local Government Council for not supervising the work adequately.
The Police Public Relations Officer Geoffrey Ogbonna confirmed the incident and stated that no life was lost as those trapped in the rubble were safely rescued.