DRAMA AS TRICYCLE OPERATOR DR0WNS WHILE R£SCUING WOMAN IN ANAMBRA FL0OD

A desperate attempt to save a woman from a raging flood ended in tragedy in Awka, Anambra State, after a commercial tricycle operator was swept away by the floodwaters and later found dead.

The tragic incident occurred on Monday night at Miracle Junction along Ifite Road in Awka South Local Government Area, during a torrential downpour accompanied by heavy thunderstorms.

The tricycle operator, whose identity had yet to be established as of Tuesday, was said to be in his 40s.

According to eyewitnesses, the man had rushed to rescue a woman who had been caught in the rapidly rising floodwater. But in the course of the rescue attempt, he reportedly lost his footing and was dragged into the raging water alongside the woman.

His body was recovered on Tuesday morning from a flood channel near Book Foundation, a short distance from Miracle Junction.

The woman, however, remained missing as residents continued to search for information about her whereabouts.

An eyewitness identified as Kelvin recounted the horrifying scene, saying residents could do little as the flood swept the victims away.

He said residents had gathered on their balconies during the storm when they noticed that the heavy rain had already caused significant damage, including pulling down a fence onto an SUV parked inside a compound.

According to him, two women were later seen walking along the road close to the raging floodwaters when one of them suddenly lost her footing and was swept into the flood.

The second woman reportedly tried to help her before the tricycle operator joined the rescue effort.

But the situation quickly turned fatal.

“The commercial tricycle operator went down the road to rescue her, but when he got to where the woman was, the gushing floodwater swept both of them away,” Kelvin said.

He added that the cries of the victims could be heard by residents during the terrifying incident before the voices suddenly went silent.

“It was devastating. Neighbours around kept hearing their cries for help before the voices suddenly stopped,” he said.

By Tuesday morning, the body of the tricycle operator had been discovered in a nearby flood channel.

Despite the recovery of his remains, the fate of the woman remained unknown at the time of filing this report.

The downpour also reportedly left a trail of destruction across the area, with several rooftops and fences said to have been brought down by the combination of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.