3 siblings, 4 others lose their lives in dramatic Lagos flood

The siblings identified as Michael, 18; Elizabeth, 17 and Timi, 14, were swept away as they were trying to relocate from their room inside the church premises to the main auditorium which belongs to Mercy of Christ Apostolic Church.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which made this disclosure, the flooding that claimed the lives of seven people happened when it rained over the weekend.

“The post-emergency phase assessment after the unprecedented rainfall of Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9, 2022, has revealed that about seven people – three children of the same parent and four adults – died.

“About eight lives were also saved during the period, as a result of the flooding that was witnessed during the two-day continuous rainfall,” a statement by the agency read.

The Zonal Coordinator, South West, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye said that the youngest child among the siblings, Timi, who was asthmatic, fell while trying to climb the plank linking their room to the church building.

Farinloye said Timi slipped and was overpowered by the flood, adding that his elder siblings were swept away as they were trying to rescue him.

The NEMA chief added that a team from the agency met with representatives of the community in which the church is located for safety sensitization.

“The bereaved parents were said to be somewhere, but the NEMA team had a brief meeting with the community leaders on the way forward.

“An appeal was made to them that for the rest of the year, the community must embark on awareness and sensitization on safe actions, to avoid the situation that they experienced during the period.

“The community leaders also informed NEMA that in the same community, four siblings were also swept away on the same day, but that the community members rallied round and rescued all of them,” Farinloye added.

NEMA, during the engagement, discovered that rainwater from Meiran, Abbatoir, Alagbado, Agege and Tollgate converged in that community.