A university undergraduate has died after floodwater swept the vehicle she was travelling in into a drainage channel in Asaba, Delta State.
The incident happened on Monday at Okotimi Layout, behind Asaba Specialist Hospital, after heavy rainfall.
The student was travelling with her father in a Toyota Corolla. They were heading to the location where she was undergoing her industrial training.
Floodwater reportedly pushed the car into a drainage channel. The girl sat in the front seat when the vehicle entered the drain.
Student swept away by floodwater
A source said the student raised her hand and called for help as the floodwater carried her away.
Rescuers saved her father and took him to a hospital for treatment. However, the search team could not find the student immediately.
The Asaba flood search continued for two days as emergency officials and divers searched nearby waterways.
The Delta State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), under the Ministry of Bureau for Special Duties, confirmed the incident.
Commissioner for the Bureau of Special Duties, Ejiro Terry Etacherure, said SEMA began the search on Monday.
He said the agency brought in divers to help locate the missing student.
Body recovered after two-day search
According to Etacherure, the search continued until Wednesday.
Boat operators around the Otogwu River area of Anwai Road later spotted a floating body and alerted SEMA.
Officials contacted a member of the family to identify the remains. An ambulance from Asaba Specialist Hospital then took the body to the hospital morgue.
Meanwhile, residents said the Asaba flood incident highlighted a wider drainage problem in the area.
An eyewitness said other vehicles had previously fallen into the same canal during heavy rainfall.
The witness mentioned a Mercedes-Benz GLK and a Lexus among vehicles that had reportedly fallen into the drainage channel.
Residents demand drainage upgrade
The eyewitness blamed the repeated accidents on inadequate drainage infrastructure.
He said the existing channel could not handle the volume and force of floodwater during heavy rainfall.
The deceased’s uncle, Andy Emephia, also called for urgent action.
Emephia said the drainage required proper attention to prevent more deaths.
Residents have now urged authorities to improve the drainage system around the area.
They also want measures that can protect lives and property whenever heavy rainfall causes flooding in Asaba.