The unending flood across Bayelsa has continued to wreak havoc as it washed up several corpses at the Azikoro Government Cemetery in Yenagoa, raising health concerns from the offensive odour in the neighbourhoods.
The flood, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of residents, has compelled the electricity company in charge of the state to shut down the public power supply.
This was done out of safety concerns to avoid electrocution, as most transformers had been submerged.
Iselema Gbaranbiri, the Commissioner for Environment and the chairman of the Bayelsa Flood Committee, confirmed that three floating corpses were recovered from the scene.
He said the corpses were immediately reburied, and the environment adequately fumigated.
He explained that the ministry got a report that one corpse was washed up, but officials dispatched to the scene found three.
“The floating of corpses was actually reported. I got the report of a floating corpse, and I directed the head of health and sanitation to get the corpse reburied. Two more corpses were recovered and reburied, and the environment was properly fumigated,” Mr Gbaranbiri said.
Meanwhile, residents near the area appealed to the state government to relocate the cemetery to safeguard public health.
They also noted that the chemicals applied and the stench from decomposing corpses poses serious health hazards to residents, calling on the government to provide relief for them and relocate the cemetery after the flood.
(NANS)