Four people including a couple washed away in a flood at Nyelleng and Gwabi communities of Pankshin Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, resulting from a heavy downpour that occurred in the area from Monday 22nd to Wednesday 24th August leaving the areas flooded.
Residents returning from a neighboring local market tried to wade through the only bridge linking the area with other communities but most lost their lives in the process.
Council Chairman, Audu Kak’mena, during his visit to the communities, confirmed the deaths and expressed sadness at the incident, and assessed the level of damage.
He said this would help to develop an intervention template and recommend the same to the State and the National Emergency Management Agencies (NEMA) for intervention.
The Chairman advised people to be cautious while crossing rivers during the rainy season to avert a re-occurrence and assured them of the council’s support.
Audu visited the family of Evangelist Daniel Goma who was killed alongside his wife and also the home of Nendirmwa Kamshinen, a pregnant woman who sustained injuries as a result of the flood.
Kamshinen explained that she was carried by the flood while crossing the bridge. She thanked God she was able to hold a tree in the river and escaped death.
Residents of the area and the victim’s families appreciated the Council Chairman for identifying with the community and soliciting assistance from the government and other good-spirited individuals to construct the Fwor-ching Nyelleng bridge which is a problem for the community every rainy season.
