3 confirmed dead in Port Harcourt first rain of the year

Three people were confirmed dead following the
first rain of the year which fell on Monday night in
Port Harcourt, Rivers state. The rain was
reportedly very heavy and was accompanied by
thunderstorms, bringing down telecommunication
masts and billboards while it lasted. Some of the
advertising boards and telecommunication masts
landed on homes and properties, destroying
them.

A three-year-old girl and a sixteen-year-old boy
were reportedly among those who died. The boy
died instantly when a telecommunication mast fell
on him while hawking pure water for his mother
at Nkpolu School, Port Harcourt.
The mother of the deceased three-year-old girl
was inconsolable as she asked the owner of the
mast that resulted in the death to revive her
daughter.
Another victim of the heavy rain, Mr Ifeanyi Uba,
who shop together with the goods in it were
destroyed by a falling mast, trapping two of his
workers, lamented his loss and called on the
government to assist him in rebuilding because
he could not afford to do it alone.
“I’m hoping that the government will come
to our aid. Though I thank God that my
workers didn’t die, because when the
advertising billboard fell on the roof, it
brought down the building. But we were
able to bring them out," Ifeanyi said.
“The rain was violent. It pulled down the
advertising structures. This billboard has
been here for more than 10 years. I am
not asking for compensation but they
should rebuild the shop because it will
cost me more than N3 million to rebuild
and I don’t have that kind of money".