FLOODS from a downpour in Abuja on Friday, June 23, have overrun Trademore, a popular estate in Abuja.
Videos from several parts of the estate showed several homes submerged and a few residents struggling to salvage some of their belongings.
The ICIR saw some buildings and fences already caved in into furious floods.
“Residents are swimming in the floods. Vehicles, homes, and many valuables have been submerged. Firefighting vehicles have been moved in here. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has deployed its officials here.
“Even before the rain, the road had been bad. So, people are panicking. There are fears people might have died in the floods,” a resident, who identified himself simply as Alfred, said.
Alfred explained that the floods affected the estate’s entrance and several buildings around the area. Alfred was driving out of his compound and discovered the bridge linking his street had collapsed.
“I need to wait on this spot and see what happens from here. The situation is worrying,” he told The ICIR.
Happening live: Flood overruns Abuja Trademore estate
Stay updated here: https://t.co/Md0oWhwNNc@OfficialFCTA pic.twitter.com/Gze5XWZ32p
— The ICIR (@TheICIR) June 23, 2023
Some residents in the videos seen by The ICIR could be heard saying people had climbed their rooftops to escape death.
The videos suggest people could have been trapped in their homes.
The rain began around dawn and continued to pound the city at 1pm when this report was being filed.
It started drizzling in some parts of the nation’s capital in the early hours until it grew into heavy downpour for many hours after most residents had gone to work.
“I have been told everything in my house is under the water. I left home this morning with my children, whom I dropped in school before heading to my office in town,” Ebere Prisca, a resident of the area, told The ICIR reporter on the telephone.”
The ICIR reports that a similar situation could have played out in the Galadimawa, Giri, Gwagwalada and Bwari, which have a history of flooding in the city.
Trademore has a yearly history of flooding, with human casualties.
In 2021, at least three persons died in the estate from a flood disaster.
To mitigate the impact of flood, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) demolished 30 houses in the estate in 2023.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org