Disaster
Declare flooding national emergency, Diri, others tell FG
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As rampaging flood continues to wreak havoc in Yenagoa and other communities in the country, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has urged the Federal Government to declare national emergency on flooding not only in the state but in other parts of the country.
Diri made the call at an emergency security council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa. He said the meeting was called to brainstorm with security agencies to assess the situation and seek ways to mitigate the impact of the disaster.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, yesterday, quoted the governor as lamenting the magnitude of this year’s flooding, which he noted had surpassed that of 2012.
The statement quoted the governor as saying: “This year’s flooding has surpassed that of 2012, which is the highest we have witnessed so far. It has become a security emergency.”
The state’s helmsman also noted that flooding had severely impacted communities, homes and road infrastructure, cutting off the state from neighbouring states of Rivers and Delta.
“As we speak, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called off its strike; but as universities are reopening, our own state university cannot open because the only road linking the university has been broken into three parts.”
WORRIED by the flooding, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), South-South Zone, has also tasked Federal and state governments on urgent dredging of River Niger and cleaning of blocked water channels in the region.
Vice President of PFN, South-South, Apostle Zilly Aggrey, while decrying the level of devastation caused by floods, noted, in particular, that the East-West road has been cut off completely.
The cleric, who is also the founder and General Overseer, Royal House of Grace International Church, made the call, yesterday, in Port Harcourt while announcing the postponement of the 30th anniversary of the church due to the devastation caused by the flood.
He said he would not be celebrating, dancing, eating and making merry, while flood displaced communities, with many lives lost.
Recall that six persons reportedly lost their lives and while four Rivers councils were sacked by flood. On how to check flooding, Aggrey said: “Can’t we dredge River Niger? Can’t we get powerful machines that can cut grassesin our waterways, that have blocked most of the water channels?
MEANWHILE, flood has reportedly killed eight persons in Ndokwa East and Isoko councils of Delta State. The highest death so far was recorded at Ndokwa East Council with six deaths recorded, followed by Isoko North and South, with one death each, making a total of eight deaths.
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The chairman, Ndokwa East Council, Juan Amacheee Governor, in a statement through one of the councillors, Barth Ozah, at the weekend, said: “We have recorded six deaths in the council with the entire areas flooded beyond what anyone would have imagined.
ALSO, Special Assistant, Media to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Fidelis Egugbo, has urged the Federal Government to take steps to address the annual flood ravaging communities and farmlands in the country.
Egugbo, accompanied by former Chairman, Delta State Council of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Chief Ifeanyi Obi, made the call, yesterday, while inspecting the damage caused by flood in communities. He noted that the yearly flood would lead to most people abandoning farming if not checked.
“This is worst than the flood of 2012. It is unfortunate that the Federal Government is yet to find solutions to the flood and it is affecting the farmers and in the long run food sufficiency in the country.”
Disaster
30 missing after heavy rain destroys dams in Yemen
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Heavy floods in Yemen due to heavy rains led to the collapse of three dams in the north-western province of al-Mahwit, killing several people and leaving at least 30 missing.
The residents in the areas told reporters on Wednesday.
They could not confirm the casualty toll.
Many families remained under the rubble in the Malhan district.
Cars were swept away and roads have been cut off, they added.
The collapsing dams caused mountain rockslides, affecting people and houses in the province, located near the capital Sana’a.
The province is controlled by the Houthi rebels, who took control of large parts of Yemen in 2014.
The Houthi-affiliated al-Masirah TV reported that several ambulances from neighbouring areas in al-Mahwit as well as Hodeida province were sent to assist.
Heavy rains and floods have been hitting Yemen for weeks, causing destruction and displacement in several provinces, and exacerbating an already dire situation in the war-torn country.
The Yemen Red Crescent Society said that more than 340,000 people have been directly affected by the heavy rains and flooding nationwide.
Two weeks ago, the UN said that at least 60 people were killed in several provinces.
Yemen has been embroiled in a disastrous power struggle since 2014 between government forces, supported by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition, and the Iran-linked Houthi rebels.
The war has taken a heavy toll on the infrastructure in the already impoverished country and the UN considers Yemen one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world.
Floods hit the country almost annually, leaving many dead or displaced.
Although conflict declined over the past two years, no sustainable political settlement has been reached.
Disaster
Explosion of tanker tyres causes ruckus in Surulere, Lagos State
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Pandemonium engulfed Ekololu, a community in Surulere, Lagos State on Monday night when the back tyres of a tanker transporting fuel to a Conoil filling station explode into flames near the station.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Correspondent who resides in the area reports that the explosion of the tyres and the billows of smoke made residents living near the filling station to run for their safety.
Observations by NAN revealed that staff from the filling station hurried out with fire extinguishers to combat the fire, which erupted around 9:00 p.m., just a few meters from the filling station’s entrance.
Emergency responders, including Federal and State Fire Services, as well as the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), swiftly arrived at the scene following distress calls from the community.
Upon their arrival, the emergency teams assessed the unregistered truck carrying the petrol and raised concerns about safety measures while questioning the driver and filling station management.
They provided guidance and oversaw the safe discharge of the fuel using a long hose to transfer the petroleum product from the stranded tanker into the filling station’s reservoirs.
The Station Manager of the Conoil filling station, Mr Kunle Oniya, informed the emergency responders that the station possessed 20 fire extinguishers, which were promptly utilised to contain the fire and prevent its spread.
The incident led to a traffic jam. Vehicles were unable to move in the area for nearly an hour.
Some residents shared their experiences of the incident with NAN.
A resident, Malam Shehu, recounted abandoning his dinner upon witnessing the fire explosion.
He expressed gratitude that the fire was contained before causing further damage.
Another resident, simply known as Iya Abigail, explained that she was playing games when she suddenly heard people shouting prompting her to run in confusion wearing her night wears.
She prayed for continued safety in the community.
An elderly resident, who preferred anonymity, urged filling stations in the area to prioritise safety and the welfare of residents.
She noted that filling stations typically had insurance against fire and other disasters and suggested extending such coverage to vulnerable buildings in their host communities.
Recalling the chaotic events, she said that she heard the sound of an emergency whistle to alert the neighbourhood before hastily evacuating her home.
“I was watching TV and when the incidence occurred, I had to blow the emergency whistle to alert the neighbourhood but I quickly dressed up before running out of the house,” she said.
(NAN)
Disaster
Police confirm two dead as bridge collapses in Ebonyi
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Police confirm two dead as bridge collapses in Ebonyi
The Police Command in Ebonyi State has confirmed two persons dead after a bridge under construction at Mgbabeluzor village in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi collapsed on Monday.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Joshua Ukandu confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki.
He said that the incident occurred about 10 a.m. while the construction workers were at the site.
Ukandu said that the victims, Oshim Simon and Francis Inyang, were labourers working with the construction company handling the project and they died as a result of the injuries sustained when the accident happened.
He said their corpses had been evacuated and taken to Iboko General Hospital Mortuary in the area. (NAN)
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