Pain, anguish as heavy rain ravages Lagos

Several losses had been recorded in the heavy downpour that ravaged many parts of Lagos between Friday and Saturday.

Checks by our correspondent revealed that the state government would have to do more to avert the looming flood in the state.

At areas like Mushin, Palmgrove, Ketu Alapere, Ebute Meta, Yaba, Festac, Ago Palace, Lekki, Ikeja, and others, residents were trapped in their houses with heavy flood that took over their streets.

The incident also led to the loss of lives and properties in some places.

For instance, at Aboru and Iyana-Ipaja in the Alimosho area of Lagos, a flood swept an 11-year-old boy and his rescuer, one Wasiu into a canal linking Aburo and Iyana-Ipaja on Ige Road.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the two young boys sent by their parents to buy cooking gas at a gas station unknowingly fell into the drain through which water passed into the canal.

Three young men tried to rescue the boys and succeeded in rescuing the older one, but one of the rescuers popularly known as Wasiu Stubborn was swept away while trying to rescue the other victim.

A community leader in the area, Mr Solomon Agboghoroma, blamed the disaster on the government’s failure to construct a bridge in the area for such incidents.

He lamented that residents of Aboru always encounter ordeal anytime it rains.

Agboghoroma said: “This rain started almost four or five days ago but the one of last night was one of the heaviest and it started at 2:15 a.m. and by 3:15 a.m., it came with full force and everywhere was flooded.

“At about 7:30 a.m. or 8:00 a.m., we learnt that an OPC member, who was a security guard in one of the gas stations here was carried away by flood while trying to rescue two children who came to buy gas but fell into the drain.”

At Magodo Phase 1, three people were killed in a building collapse in the area.

The victims were – Mrs Jumiah Utache and her children, Faith (9 years), Domino (2 years) and Daniel (1 year).

The family members died after a hilltop structure crashed on their house at  48, Orisa Street, Magodo Phase One, Isheri Waterfront, during the downpour.

It was gathered that the hilltop structure on Otun Araromi Street collapsed and fell on the Utache family residence, crushing the woman and her children who were asleep.

The head of the family,  Emmanuel Utache, narrowly escaped death, but sustain serious injury.

It was also learnt that a building also collapsed at Ita Elewas area of Ikorodu but no casualty was recorded in the incident.

The Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Femi Oke-Osayintolu, confirmed the incidents.

He said the agency had recommended full implementation of the existing law on a collapsed building in the state which included seizure of the affected property.

He said: “The law does not only stipulate removal of debris after rescue but includes seizure of such property for constituting a risk to other residents within the immediate environment and those close to the building as at the time of the incident.

“Investigations revealed that aside from the heavy downpour, the obviously old building constructed with mud bricks had been seriously distressed over time with visible cracks on its other yet-to-collapse sides.

Read also: Four die in Lagos building collapse

“In order to avert danger to adjoining buildings and other users of the environment, LASEMA has recommended strongly that its remains be pulled down, the debris removed and the property forfeited to the Lagos State Government as stipulated by law.”

Meanwhile, a truck fully loaded with 45,000 litres of petrol fell at Otedola bridge along the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway.

The incident made people to abandon their vehicles and took to heel believing the tanker would explode.

Emergency responders were immediately drafted to the scene to assist in trans-loading the fuel into another tanker and avert the explosion.

Eyewitnesses said the trailer skipped off the road when its break could not help it due to the heavy torrent.

Also, residents of Akute road in Ojodu Berger area of Ogun State suffered more losses as their houses and roads were heavily flooded.

Our correspondent at the area saw flooded houses with properties soaked in water.

One of the residents who spoke with Ripples Nigeria, Omole Razak, said: “ The flood had taken over our house. I woke in the middle of the night to find my bed inside the water and I was shocked. In the morning, I had to send my wife and my son to her parents’ house while I squat with a friend. The government should please have mercy on us in this area.”

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