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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Disasters & Emergencies

They saved their children, lost everything else: Inside the night Calabar drowned

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Severe flooding in Calabar, Cross River State, caused widespread destruction of homes and property in early July.
  • Families were forced to flee their homes in the middle of the night, saving their children but losing most possessions.
  • The floods, triggered by heavy rainfall, resulted in five deaths, including four children, and significant material losses estimated in the millions.

Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, experienced devastating floods in early July, forcing residents to flee their homes in the middle of the night. Families managed to save their children but lost nearly all their possessions, including furniture, appliances, and clothing, as floodwaters surged through their homes.

Around 3 am on the fateful day, water entered my house and destroyed every household item. Chairs, a flat-screen television, beds, fridge and even my clothes were destroyed.

— Etim BasseyBassey described the destruction of his home and belongings during the flood.

Residents recounted harrowing experiences, with some describing water levels rising to their necks as they carried young children to safety. Etim Bassey, an indigene of Nkakad Ikot Ekriba, estimated his losses at over N5 million after his household items, including a television, beds, and fridge, were destroyed. The floodwaters left behind waterlogged homes filled with debris and damaged property, symbolizing the destruction of years of savings and hard work.

The water got to my neck, and I carried my five-year-old child on my neck. If the water got to my neck, you can imagine what would have happened to a five-year-old child.

— Etim BasseyBassey recounted the perilous escape with his child during the flood.

The disaster was not only measured in property loss but also in lives. The Cross River State Emergency Management Agency confirmed five fatalities, including four children, resulting from landslides triggered by prolonged heavy rainfall in the Ikot Awatim Community. Two houses were destroyed, and two other residents were injured. The agency's Director-General, Efa Nyong, led a rapid assessment team to evaluate the damage and provide assistance to affected families.

We only managed to save our children and a few clothes. Everything else was destroyed.

— Resident of Ikot AwatimA resident summarized the difficult choices families faced during the flood.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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