Two children lost their lives after being swept away by floodwaters during a heavy downpour in Minna, Niger State.
The incident occurred in the Tunga community on Monday afternoon, following hours of persistent rainfall that overwhelmed drainage systems and submerged roads.
The girl, said to be the only daughter among three siblings, was reportedly sent to the Tunga Market approximately two kilometers from her residence to buy soup ingredients.
She was accompanied by her 11-year-old brother, despite the early signs of worsening weather, the children set out under an umbrella during a lull in the rain.
Eyewitnesses said the rain soon returned with intensity, causing flash floods that filled the roads and open drainages.
The children, returning from the market, encountered the deluge when the girl reportedly slipped into one of the major drainage channels constructed decades ago by Julius Berger during the Ibrahim Babangida military administration.
Her slippers and nylon shopping bag were found at the edge of the channel.
According to residents, her brother attempted to raise an alarm and called for help as he watched his sister being swept away, but bystanders were unable to assist due to the strength and height of the floodwaters.
The boy ran back home to alert their parents.
Hours later, the father of the girl was contacted to identify a corpse discovered at a drainage outlet along Mandela Road, over five kilometers from where she had fallen in.
Shockingly, he found not only his daughter’s body but also that of another young boy believed to have died in the same flood.
When contacted last night, the Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Hussaini Ibrahim, expressed sadness over the incident, stating that the agency was not previously aware of the tragedy.
“The agency is not aware of the disaster, but my people will visit the home of the girl at Tunga tomorrow to meet with the parents,” he told Channels Television.
Source: Channels tv
