A torrential rainfall in Akure that lasted over 24 hours on Tuesday resulted in the deterioration and eventual collapse of a building and tragic death of a man who tried to shield his son from the incident.
On Wednesday, an eyewitness account reveals that the incident occurred at 3.00 p.m. on Itedo Eledumare Street, Obale in Akure North Local Government Area.
Mrs. Margaret Adega, the widow of the deceased, recounted that during the rainfall, the wall of the back section of the building collapsed without notification on her husband and son, who were outside.
‘I heard the loud cry of my son from deep in my sleep and I rushed outside to discover him under the rubble of the collapsed wall of the building.’
Read also: Okada Rider Gone Missing In Abuja Torrential Rainfall
‘I tried to extricate him and discovered the unconscious body of my husband on top of him. I believe my husband used his body to protect our son when the wall fell.’
‘I called out to neighbours who assisted me to extricate them from the rubbles and rushed both of them to the maternity centre in the neighbourhood.’
‘There we were asked to take them to the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, but when we got there he was confirmed dead on arrival.’
According to the widow, the body of her late husband had been deposited in the mortuary, while their son, who suffered a leg fracture and minor facial bruises, was undergoing treatment.
Mrs. Adega stated that once her son was released from the hospital, arrangements would be made to take her husband’s body to Benue for burial.
The head of the Children’s Emergency Room, Mr. Gabriel Folahan, mentioned that Kizito Adega was brought in at 4.52 p.m., with facial bruises and a leg fracture.
Folahan stated that the child would be referred to the orthopaedic ward for Traction on Thursday.
According to investigations, the rainfall resulted in deterioration in other areas of Oba-Ile and on the Airport road as streams overflowed their banks, causing floods that submerged buildings and caused destruction to personal properties and fences.