Two men were on Monday swept away and nine women rescued following heavy flooding in parts of Lagos.
The men were swept off by flash flood at different locations at Iyana Ipaja while the women were said to have been trapped after their residence at Mende, Maryland started sinking.
The building located at 47 Akinwunmi Street, Akinwunmi North Estate Mende, Maryland, was said to have been flooded by the heavy rainfall that started early Monday morning which resulted to its sinking.
It was gathered that when the building became distressed as a result of the flood, the owner used a ladder and fled leaving behind the vulnerable women.
The landlord, who was accused of abandoning vulnerable women and not notifying emergency workers of the situation, was handed to the police when he resurfaced hours later.
Several parts of the State, including Ajayi Street, Olubodun Ifesowapo, Olubodun, Fafunwa, Ipaja West and Tioluwani in Alimosho Local Government Area, parts of Ago Palace Way, Okota and Canal Estate experienced heavy flooding following the downpour that lasted over four hours.
One of the victims identified as Alfa, was said to have been swept off after he went to his house to pick some things.
It was learnt that Alfa, his wife and four children had been displaced by the flood and had fled to safety only for him to return to the house to pick up something they forgot.
It was learnt that two others with him escaped being swept off as community members rescued them.
Confirming the incident, Lagos Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said the family of Alfa had been evacuated to a relative’s residence.
“Yes, two adult males were swept off by flood. The second one, we gathered, missed his steps on the Command Bridge and fell on the running water. Before help could reach him, he had been carried away,” Farinloye said.
The NEMA boss said the agency received distress alert on the building at Mende Maryland and immediately raced to the location to rescue the victims.
He said 35 buildings were affected at Akinwumi Estate and 31 buildings at Arowojobe Estate both in Maryland.
NEMA’s Lagos Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye, said Ebun Otti Estate was also seriously impacted, adding that Agboyi Ketu and some communities in Alimosho, Kosofe and Ifelodun Ajeromi LGAs suffered flooding as well.
Farinloye said: “The torrential rainfall which lasted about four hours in the early hours of the day flooded lots of communities in Lagos.
“NEMA advance team’s close observations called for more reinforcement of personnel. It was discovered that the landlord had used ladder to escape.
“He however, failed to contact emergency responders. It was someone from the office of one of the trapped victims that called NEMA.
“All trapped women have been successfully rescued. The landlord just returned to the scene and he has been handed over to the police for leaving the vulnerable ladies.
“The agencies now are LASEMA, State Fire Service and Police Disaster Management Unit,” he said.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu also confirmed the incident, adding that no deaths nor injuries were recorded.
The Nation
