Enugu underground tank disaster: Ugwuanyi pledges to support victims’ families

The Government of Enugu State has pledged to help the families of eight youths who died recently inside an underground water tank at Enugu Ezike, in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.

Chairman of the Council Area, Chief Uwakwe Ezeja, made the pledge when he led a special delegation on condolence visit to the affected families, on behalf of the government.

Ezeja said the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was shocked by the sad development and sent his condolences and sympathy to the affected families and the community.

Ezeja, who said that Ugwuanyi had promised his government would not abandon them at their current difficult moments, explained that it was a huge disaster for a people to lose eight men who were in their prime to death.

He said: “We are here to condole with you and ourselves too over the unfortunate tragedy that has befallen us, on behalf of His Excellency, the governor of Enugu State, Rt Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

“His Excellency is pained and weighed down by this sad development and he has sent us to ask you to take heart. He also asked us to assure you that government would support families of the deceased, especially during their burial. Government would not abandon them.”

Ezeja called on the people to remain calm and pray for the repose of the souls of the dead.

Southeast Trust recalls that the victims were said to have been choked to death by carbon monoxide from a water pumping machine kept inside the underground tank.

Eyewitnesses said the tragedy happened when the tank owner, Stephen Mamah, contracted a man to help him pump out water from the facility, which is still under construction.

According to the account the man had placed a water-pump machine inside the tank to pump out water and after a while, he entered the tank to check the water level and in the process he got chocked to death.

The eyewitness said when other young men, who were working at another building site nearby felt that the man had stayed inside the tank for too long , they decided to check on him but found his body lying inside.