Six members of a family have died after a building collapsed in Nenwenta community, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, following torrential rainfall and landslides in the area.
The villagers said the victims comprised a man, his wife, their three children and their grandmother, who were crushed when a head tank collapsed on the building.
Only one child, said to be four years old, survived the incident and was later rescued and rushed to hospital.
The tragedy occurred on Friday amid a landslide that cut off Nenwenta and neighbouring Ugwueme communities from other parts of Enugu State, leaving residents stranded and making access for emergency responders difficult.
The development also forced residents travelling out of the affected communities to pass through Abia and Imo states before reaching other parts of Enugu State.
The member representing Awgu South State Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Anthony Nwankwo, confirmed the incident on Monday while raising the matter on the floor of the Assembly under a motion of urgent public importance.
Nwankwo said the collapse of the head tank claimed the lives of six members of the same family, while a four-year-old child survived.
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He lamented that the victims might have been rescued alive but for the lack of access to the communities, which made emergency intervention difficult.
“I move that the House do write the relevant authorities to intervene to open the road leading to Ugwueme and Nenwenta,” Nwankwo said.
The lawmaker appealed to the Enugu State Ministry of Works, Enugu State Emergency Management Authority and the Ecological Fund to urgently intervene, reopen the road and prevent further loss of life and property.
Contributing to the motion, lawmakers sympathised with Nwankwo and residents of his constituency while supporting immediate intervention to restore access to the affected communities.
The lawmakers representing Ezeagu, Nkanu East and Oji River constituencies, Chima Obieze, Okey Mba and Osita Eze, respectively, described the incident as a natural disaster and warned residents against building close to hills or engaging in reckless excavation of soil and stones.
They urged the government to urgently open the cut-off road and provide relief to residents of Ugwueme and Nenwenta, stressing the need to prevent further casualties in the affected communities.
News Express
