Divers after the fruitless search
Two teenagers got drowned at the Asata River in Enugu on Saturday, creating tension at the ever busy Independent Layout-New Haven Junction. Friends of the victims, who are said to be indigenes of Ebonyi State, told journalists that they were all hawking their wares when suddenly the two teenagers said they wanted to have a bath in the river.
It was gathered that soon after, the younger one said to be below ten years went deeper into the river, adding that while she was crying for help, her elder sister moved closer to rescue her. “Painfully, two of them got drowned. Another person that was also in the river started shouted for help, by the time we got to this place we could not see them again.
“We alerted divers living close to this neighbourhood, you can see that they have only succeeded in bringing out the dead body of the older one, while her younger sister is still trapped in the river. “We are all waiting to see whether miracle will happen, because I don’t know how one family will lose two persons just like this”, one of the hawkers said in tears.
Another eye witness said the victims saw two other young men swimming in the river and decided to have a feel of the river, adding that they got drowned in the process.
DailyPost correspondent who was also at the river reported that after about two hours, the divers emerged, announcing to the crowd of sympathizers that the search has ended for the day. “We have tried our best and as you can see, we were able to bring out the dead body of thee older one. In fact, I am the person that brought her body from the bottom of this river; we have been inside that river for more than 2 hours but the youngest one is nowhere to be found.
Remains of one of the victims surrounded by sympathizers
“It is already getting late, so it will be difficult for us to continue this search in the dark”, the leader of the team stated. The incident, which attracted hundreds of Enugu residents, created a serious traffic gridlock along the Road.
As at the filling this report, the recovered dead body of one of the victims was still lying beside the road, covered with clothes by some concerned residents. Their foot wears were still by the side of the river.
Meanwhile, the police in Enugu has not confirmed the death, even as different police patrol vehicles passed at the crowded place, inquire what was going on and zoomed off.
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