Flood sweeps teenage girl in Lagos

A 17-year-old girl, Ayisat, was on Monday swept away by flood at Alapafuja Close in Surulere Low-Cost Housing Estate after the heavy rainfall.

This is coming less than a week after flash flood swept a four-year-old child at Orile-Agege while they were fleeing their home that was submerged in water.

Monday’s incident, it was gathered panicked residents of the low-cost estate who all trooped out in search of the young girl without success.

It was gathered that a search of all drains and canals in the area was conducted but the girl was not found.

Sources said the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) was also contacted and they joined the search but the girl was yet to be found.

According to the Director General (DG) LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the search and rescue has been extended to connecting water channels, adding that the outcome of the operation would determine the radius of extension beyond Surulere.

He said LASEMA was trailing the water flow from the canal along Alapafuja close that links Bank Olemoh which was submerged in flood, adding that the operation would determine the extend of the search radius since past experiences have shown that heavy floods sometimes transfer victims far from incidents scenes.

“A 17 year old girl, simply identified as Ayisat was on Monday, reportedly swept away by strong flood at Alapafuja axis of the Surulere Low-Cost Housing Estate following persistent rainfall in the state. Search and Rescue is on,” Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu said in a message on Monday night.

He appealed to parents to restrain their wards during and after rainfall in order to prevent such cases.