A heavy downpour which started on Tuesday up till the wee hours of Wednesday morning in Awka, Anambra State capital has taken the life of 14-year-old girl whose name could not be ascertained.
The raging flood was said to have swept off a 504 Peugeot car with four occupants including the girl behind the Governor’s lodge in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area, at about 7:30 am on Wednesday.
According to an eyewitness account, the girl after being swept away by the flood was trapped in it for over 4 hours and was still alive when she was rescued.
The vehicle which was said to be heading to Nibo through City Landmark Hotel road lost control immediately its tyres entered the flood that had already taken over the road and immediately, the engine stopped before the flood pushed the car into a ditch.
News Express gathered that Obibia stream located in the area usually overflowed its bank whenever there was heavy downpour.
The duo of Ogechukwu Chine and Chinenye Okafor who were eyewitnesses to the mishap said the girl remained in the flood from 7:30 am till 2pm when she was rescued by lifeguards with the help of a crane driver and was rushed to an undisclosed hospital.
They could not, however, ascertain whether the girl was the first daughter of the pastor, a covenant child, Precious or the second daughter Ebubechukwu.
They said the pastor Apostle O Samuel of Zion Pillar Intercessory Ministry from Adabebe Village Amawbia and his wife were excited when their daughter was rescued alive and breathing.
The eyewitnesses explained that the girl was sick and they were going to get money allegedly from the father in one of the branches of the Church at Nibo before the incident happened.
They described the Apostle as a firebrand who had been a torn in the flesh of evil doers around the community saying that despite the many calamities that has befallen him, he has always come out unscathed.
When journalists got to the scene of the incident, the 504 was still inside the stream while the man who rescued the five persons Emenike Michael said it was only God that saved them as he came 45 minutes after the incident had happened.
He said: “The flood had thrown them up and down, submerged but I braved it to assist in rescuing them with my brothers.”
Emenike a horticulturist with business location around the stream said they brought out the four occupants of the vehicle alive two young boys, an elderly man and the 14 years old girl as well as a fifth person who attempted to rescue them but was swept away by the flood.
He added: “We were shocked that after all the hours in the water, there was no water in the girl’s stomach when she was finally rescued and that she was still breathing.
“The fifth person was someone who came to assist in rescuing them initially but was swept away by the flood.”
He explained that the girl’s rescue was more difficult because she was trapped inside while others were thrown out by the flood because of high current.
In a twist of event later at about 5 pm, unverified news filtered in that the girl had allegedly died in the hospital.
However, the family could not be reached for confirmation at the time of filing the report.
Source News Express