At least 10 people have lost their lives while several homes have been destroyed following weeks of torrential rainfall, flooding, and devastating landslides across Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
Among the victims were four siblings who died after a landslide buried their home at Ikot Anwatim. Their father also lost his life while trying to rescue them from the collapsing mud.
Elsewhere, a man drowned in floodwaters along Elijah Henshaw Street, a woman watched helplessly as her one-year-old son was swept away by raging floodwaters at Webber Street, while two children also drowned at Otop Abasi. At Boropit in Idim Otop, two girls were pulled out dead after a landslide brought down their house.
The latest disaster struck Diamond Hill, where several houses were swept into the adjoining sea, leaving behind a massive gully and destroying part of the road leading to the Naval Base and Calabar Jetty.
The Cross River State Government has now appealed for urgent Federal Government intervention, warning that the situation has gone beyond the state’s capacity.
Speaking after inspecting the Diamond Hill landslide, Deputy Governor Peter Odey said, “We received reports of this landslide after yesterday’s heavy rainfall. Our priority is to secure the area, prevent further destruction, and protect lives and property.”
He disclosed that officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had already inspected the area, adding, “It is beyond what any single institution can effectively handle.”
Odey warned that if urgent action is not taken, “Calabar may soon be totally submerged,” describing the recurring floods and landslides as an ecological disaster requiring immediate federal intervention.
Meanwhile, Conservator General of the National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim Goni, blamed the worsening floods on deforestation, warning that “more of such flooding is on its way” unless urgent environmental restoration measures are implemented.
