Flooding triggered by the heavy downpour at Ring Road, Agu Awka, Anambra State, has left one person missing after six children were rescued by emergency responders in the area.
The situation, according to the Awka South local government officials at the scene, has now been brought under control, with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) coordinating rescue and response operations.
The rescued children have been taken to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku Awka, for medical attention, while efforts continue to locate the missing person.
The incident follows disturbing scenes of flooding witnessed around Ring Road, Awka, earlier this morning, with videos showing floodwaters overwhelming sections of the area, causing an emergency as students are seen trapped in a school bus, a woman holding on to a tree having been washed into a flooded area, and movement completely disrupted.
Emergency responders have since moved in to assess the situation and prevent further loss of lives, while officials say the search for the missing person remains ongoing. The development comes against the backdrop of a fresh NiHSA high-flood-risk advisory covering September 19th to 25th, which lists Anambra among fifteen states vulnerable to riverine flooding and identifies Awka South, Awka North, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru, Aguata, Anaocha and Ayamelum among the state’s vulnerable areas.
With the immediate rescue operation in Awka brought under control, the combined team of NEMA and SEMA officials disclosed that Ogbaru Local Government Area will be focused upon for further assessment of the impact of the continued rainfall and flooding, and to determine whether additional communities require urgent intervention.
NEMA had earlier warned Anambra residents, particularly those in riverine and flood-prone communities, to remain vigilant and be prepared to move to safer, higher ground as water levels rise.
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