Koforidua floods: 7-year-old dead after 2-hour downpour

By:brightwebtv.com/Martin awuku

The family of 7-year-old Jude Baffour, a Class 3 pupil of Freehans International School, is in mourning after he died in floods caused by a two-hour downpour in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua.

The boy, who was with his two siblings, was carried away by flood waters when he tried to jump a gutter close to his house on Monday.

A source close to the family told Citi News that the boy was dropped off by the school bus, together with his elder brother and younger sister in front of the Headquarters of the Calvary Redemption Church, which is just about 30 meters from their home.

Although it was still raining at the time, the driver of the bus and some teachers who were onboard, however, failed to assist the children to cross the gutter which was in front of the church.
The source added that Jude, in an attempt to cross it on his own, slipped and fell into the gutter which was filled with rushing water.
His elder brother grabbed his arm in an attempt to rescue him but could not hold on for long due to the intensity of the flow which eventually forced him to let go.

Jude’s body was found a few meters away after an hour’s search.
Kwaku Amponsah, a co-tenant of the family who led the search team, said in an interview with Citi News that intensity of the flow of the running water prevented them from finding the boy early.

“I was at home with the boy’s mother around 4:00 pm when his siblings came shouting that the boy was drowning. I then rushed out to the exact point which is less than a minute walk from our home. I stepped into the gutter and checked but couldn’t find him. I then moved downwards where there was a small intersection of drains to search but the water level was very high, above my waist level, so I didn’t see him.
“I came back home and we organized some of the guys around after the rain stopped and went around the same spot and after an hour we found his body trapped behind a plantain tree which was in the drain. We then rushed him to the SDA hospital only to be told he was dead”.

It was not a pleasant sight when Citi Newsgot to the family house.
Well-wishers, neighbours, church members and colleagues of the victim’s parent had gathered to sympathize with the family.

Pastor Okyere Baffour, the Executive Secretary of the conference of the SDA church who had come to sympathize with the family in an interview with Citi Newscalled on school authorities to adopt some level of professionalism and responsibility in the discharge of their duties.
This is not the first flood-related death recorded in Koforidua.
Three years ago,  three persons lost their lives near the Nkubem Kenkey Factory after the driver of the taxi they were in attempted to cross the road in front of the Pentecost church which was flooded.
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By: | citinewsroom.com |