Ten children have been confirmed dead after floods swept them away following Wednesday’s rains in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The deceased were pupils of the Living Foundation Nursery and Primary School in Tundun Kauri. Seven bodies were recovered in the school premises after the flood water was drained; while the remaining three bodies were found in a gully a few metres from the school compound.
It was gathered that the school fence had collapsed, drawing the attention of neighbours who rushed into the classrooms to evacuate most of the students. In the resultant chaos, not all the kids were accounted for.
The Chief Fire Officer, Alhak Dogar, said his men launched a rescue operation, which was hampered by bad roads coupled with high currents of the flood. He expressed regret that the school was sitting on waterways which made it more difficult to rescue the pupils.