The flooding caused by the sudden overflow of the Cross River at the Umon axis yesterday claimed the life of a seven year old child, while two others,? seven and 13 years old respectively have been declared missing. The incident occurred when flood water inundated the hitherto peaceful community of Umon Island in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Other victims, a woman 53, and a man, 78? who narrowly escaped death are currently receiving treatment at the community Health Centre Umon as a result of injuries sustained when their residential building collapsed on them.
The corpses of the missing children feared drowned in their houses and apparently washed into the river are yet to be found? at the time of filling this report even as village divers were frantically searching for them in order to give them? befitting burials. Our correspondent who visited the graveside of the dead child reports that family members were still in shock as they were seen mourning at the grave side.
“The late girl was not only beautiful and charming, intelligent and humble, we have lost a generation in the family,” Fabian Ogbor lamented. Over 40 houses were submerged in flood water and about 1,500 people were displaced and seen squatting in a primary school and elsewhere in the area.
Similarly over 70 percent of the entire village with a population of 6,000 has been flooded. “The flood is not showing any sign of abating and we are afraid of what next would happen should the water increases above its present level”, Chief Elder Okon Nya Aniyom said. Property estimated at millions of Naira were destroyed by the flood.