Emergency responders have recovered the body of Success Ezenwafor, a pupil of UNIZIK Primary School, Awka, Anambra State, who was swept away by floodwaters on Tuesday.
Success was among schoolchildren travelling in a shuttle bus along the Awka–Nibo–Nise–Enugwu-Ukwu Ring Road when the vehicle was caught in the floodwaters.
Following the incident, security personnel, residents and other emergency responders launched a search for the missing pupil after rescuing other passengers from the vehicle.
The recovery of Success’s body was announced on Wednesday by Dr Uche Nworah, a former Special Adviser on General Duties to the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof Charles Anosike, in a Facebook post.
Nworah said the Mayor of Awka South Local Government Area, Prince Chinedu Okafor, confirmed the recovery of the child’s body.
“The body of the missing child, Success Ezenwafor, has been recovered. The other children are in stable condition and receiving medical treatment at the hospital. I am at Amaku Teaching Hospital at the moment,” Okafor was quoted as saying.
Two other children from the Ezenwafor family who were involved in the incident were also rescued and taken to hospital for treatment.
The Anambra State Police Command had earlier said nine people, including seven schoolchildren and two adults, were rescued after the flood incident along the Nibo–Isiagu Road in Awka.
The command had also reported that one child remained unaccounted for and that search and rescue operations were ongoing in collaboration with community members and other relevant stakeholders.