A 37-year-old man, simply identified as Ejiuwa, has died in Ugwueke, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, during a flooding incident.
The flood also pulled down houses, killed livestock and destroyed crops on farms, while some houses were submerged up to their rooftops.
The victim, who was said to be a trader, drowned in the flood while returning to the village from the market.
A village source who confirmed Ejiuwa’s death said his wife is pregnant with their expected first child.
“He was declared missing after the rain as he couldn’t arrive at home, a situation that made the people to launch a search for him.
“Unfortunately, his lifeless body was later discovered and brought out of the flood,” the Ugwueke villager said.
Apart from the loss of life and property, about 700 persons have been rendered homeless and hungry by the disaster.
A victim, Mr Gideon Okorie, appealed to the Federal Government and Abia State Government to intervene in the travails of his people.
“We are homeless, hungry and exposed to possible disease outbreaks,” Okorie said.
Another indigene, Promise Chijioke, said, “I got a call from home yesterday that my father’s house has collapsed. This is too much.”
The Abia State Ministry of Environment, Abia State Emergency Management Agency and other relevant government agencies were yet to release official statements about the incident at the time of this report.