Mudslide kills one in Lagos during heavy downpour

Tragedy struck in the early hours of Tuesday, in Lagos, as one unidentified woman was recovered dead and two others rescued alive from a collapsed structure at Kuata Area by Amara Olu Street, Mechanic Village, Agidingbi, Ikeja, as a result of mudslide following a long-hour heavy downpour.

The rainfall, which started late Monday evening, resulted in heavy flooding across the metropolis. Most of the areas such as; Ikeja, Iyana-Ipaja, Agege, Ikorodu, Mile 2, Ojo, among others experienced heavy flood, resulting in terrible traffic gridlock.

Confirming the incident, General Manager of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Engr. Micheal Akindele, said the remains of the deceased has been deposited at the mortuary in Ikeja General Hospital while the survivors are currently receiving medical treatment.

According to Akindele, “We received a distress call through the emergency toll free line 112/767 at about 10.54 am today 6th September, 2016 of a report of mudslide at some illegal shanties around Kuata Area by Amara Olu Street Mechanic Village Agidingbi, Ikeja. “Three persons were discovered trapped under the mud.

The Agency’s Emergency Response Team, ERT, were able to rescue some people ( a male and a female), while one adult female lost her life and the dead was recovered by the agency’s ERR. “The Agency’s ERT and men of the Nigerian Police from Alausa Division, Rapid Response Squad, RRS, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence LASAMBUS, National Emergency Management Authority, were also on ground for the recovery operation.”

Akindele added that the area is a wet land and a buffer zone which is not habitable for human settlement. “The state government has been sensitizing people staying in flood prone and wet land to vacate such areas to avert loss of lives especially during this raining season.” Those at the scene of the incident were Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare; Commandant, Nigerian Civil Defense Corps, Lagos State Command, Mr. Tajudeen Balogun and Director, Lagos Fire Service, Mr. Rasaq Fadope, among others.

Courtesy Vanguard