About 76 people have been reported missing after a boat carrying 85 people capsized in Umunankwo community, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Chief Paul Odenigbo, also disclosed that the boat was carrying 85 people, saying that only nine people were rescued.
He said, “What I was told yesterday was that the boat was carrying 85 people when that accident happened. Out of that number, I was told that only nine people were rescued. If there is a new development, I’ve not been briefed”.
Former President General of Umuzu community in the LGA, Chukwudum Ndedigwe, narrated that the accident occurred near a bridge that was already covered by the floodwater, suggesting that the high water current at that spot might have contributed to the mishap.
In a statement made available on Saturday, a former member of the House of Representatives for Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Hon Afam Ogene, said that the incident happened last Friday and that eyewitnesses told him that about 30 persons went missing.
He added that the victims took off from Onukwu Bridge and were heading to Nkwo Market in Ogbakuba community before their boat capsized.
He said that so far, unofficial reports indicated that between 20 and 30 persons were yet to be accounted for.
Ogene, who is the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the same federal constituency for the 2023 polls, said that he was devastated by the horrific accident. He also called on the state government and other relevant authorities to come to the aid of the people.
He said: “This sad news of this terrible accident is numbing and painful to me as a person and must be very devastating, especially to the immediate families of the victims. This is a collective loss for Ogbaru as a whole and we are united in sorrow.
“My condolences go to the affected families and also Ogbaru people and communities, who have in recent times found themselves in the jaws of severe flood disaster that has practically submerged all our communities and displaced thousands of people.”
It was further gathered that many communities in Ogbaru LGA have been submerged by the floodwater and many roads and bridges have reportedly been damaged in the process.
In an earlier statement, Ogene, listed Ogwu Ikpele, Akili Ogidi, Obeagwe, Ossomala, Ogwuaniocha, Umunankwo, Ogbakuba, Ochuche, Umuzu, Akili Ozizor, Atani, Ohita and Odekpe as communities affected by the flooding. Others include Amiyi, Iyiowa, Ogbeukwu, Okoti and parts of Okpoko.
