Flood sweeps away 4-year-old girl in Lagos

Rescuers from both the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were by yesterday evening still searching for the body of a four-year-old girl, identified as Azizat, who was swept away by flood at Fashola Street, Papa Ashafa, Orile Agege, Lagos State. Our correspondent learnt Azizat was swept away […]

Rescuers from both the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) were by yesterday evening still searching for the body of a four-year-old girl, identified as Azizat, who was swept away by flood at Fashola Street, Papa Ashafa, Orile Agege, Lagos State.

Our correspondent learnt Azizat was swept away by flood during yesterday’s heavy downpour in the state.

It was gathered that the little girl was swept into a nearby drainage, which flows into a canal that runs behind Fashola Street.

Sources said that the No. 38, Fashola Street building, where Azizat was residing with her parents, had been submerged in flood and the little girl was attempting to climb to a higher ground with other residents when she was swept away by the flood.

“Azizat mistakenly missed her step and fell into a drainage that was covered by flood water and was swept away,” a neighbour, Shade Kazeem, said.

The Acting Coordinator, Territorial Office of NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, in a statement yesterday, enjoined residents of Lagos State to be on the look-out for the body of the four-year-old girl.

Farinloye said the floodwater, which runs from Fashola Street, also runs through Aboru, Iyana Ipaja and Command in Lagos State and crosses into Ota in Ogun State. He added the water finally runs into Agbara, Ogun State, from where it flows into the sea.

He stated that officials of NEMA and LASEMA put resources together in recovery operations as soon as a distress alert on the missing girl was received but that the body had not been recovered.

“This necessitated this call on the people in these areas with credible information on the recovery of the body to call the attention of the emergency/security agency in their area if they notice any body. Recovery operations by the emergency agencies are still ongoing,” he said.

In a related incident, Farinloye disclosed that two women, including a yet-to-be identified pregnant lady, were yesterday rescued from a collapsed building at Ashade Quarters, behind Guinness, Ikeja.

The pregnant lady was said to have fainted but was revived by a team of medical personnel from a state government’s health facility.

A section of four houses at the Ashade Quarters had collapsed, trapping the two women.

Farinloye explained that one of the affected houses had 18 households.

He said residents of one of the houses, No. 18, Railway Line, had been advised to leave the building for the safety of their lives, as the downpour of two days had weakened it.

“On this note, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouk, appealed to parents and guardians to pay special attention to their children and wards playing in the rain or running water during this period.

“She has further appealed to Nigerians to relocate to upper ground as soon as they notice that drainages and canals are overflowing. The Minister pointed out that in the process of relocating to higher ground, children and women must be protected and safeguarded in emergency situations.

“Motorists have also been implored to take extra caution while driving in the rain, especially when there is flooding. They are enjoined to leave their vehicles and stay in upper ground and not under trees or temporary sheds,” Farinloye said.