From Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin.

Three persons, including a clergyman, have been killed in a torrential rainfall that occurred on Sunday in Igarra, the administrative headquarters of Akoko-Edo local government area of Edo State.

The clergyman and a young girl, were said to be travelling to Igarra from Auchi, when they were washed away by the flood, as they attempted to join other passengers in pushing their broken down vehicle at Egbigere.

Their corpses were said to have been discovered on Monday morning.

‎The third victim, a middle aged man in Utua area of the community, was said to have been a victim of circumstance as a building collapsed on him during a visit to his friend and his body was also recovered from the debris on Monday morning.

The rain which was said to have started at about 11.00 am on Sunday, also led to serious flooding and destruction of about 50 houses and other properties, including parts of the fence of the local government secretariat.

The traditional ruler of the community, Oba Adeche Saiki, Otaru of Igarra, who spoke through the secretary, Otaru-in-Council, Folorunsho Dania, described the incident as a tragedy to the community.

He called on the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and other relevant government agencies as well as good spirited individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the victims to help them recover from their loses.
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“We are shocked at the level of damage. Many houses have collapsed and some totally un-habitable as their structures have failed. We lost four persons one of them an undergraduate who was coming home from school,” the traditional ruler said.

Also reacting to the tragedy, the senator representing the area, Domingo Obende, said he had already sent his personal staff to commiserate with the people and take stock of the damage to enable him take necessary action.