Couple, three children die as head tank falls on building in Enugu

At least six people, including a couple and their three children, were killed in Enugu State on Friday when a head tank fell on their building.

The incident, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, occurred in Nenwenta, a community in Awgu Local Government Area of the state.

Residents told this newspaper that the head tank fell due to torrential rainfall, which triggered landslides in the area.

A video clip of the incident seen by PREMIUM TIMES showed that the tank’s collapse completely crushed the building and the victims inside it.

According to residents, apart from the couple and their children, their grandmother was also killed in the tragic incident.

However, a child, said to be four years old, was rescued alive from the rubble after some residents rushed to the incident.

PREMIUM TIMES obtained a disturbing video clip which showed residents removing the bodies of the victims from the rubble.

Meanwhile, the tragedy occurred shortly after a landslide reportedly cut off Nenwenta Community and neighbouring communities from the rest of Enugu State, leaving residents stranded.

Some of the residents said they are now forced to travel out of the affected communities to pass through Abia and Imo States before reaching other parts of Enugu State.

Lawmaker lament

In a statement on Monday, a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Anthony Nwankwo, said the victims died because emergency responders could not access the community on time due to the landslide that cut off the community.

Mr Nwankwo, who represents Awgu South State Constituency in the assembly, said the incident forced him to raise a motion of urgent public importance in the House.

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The lawmaker appealed to relevant authorities, including the Enugu State Ministry of Works and the National Emergency Management Agency, to urgently mobilise resources and technical support to address the ecological challenge.

He commiserated with the families who lost their loved ones and called for sustained government attention to the affected communities until normal access and safety were “fully restored.”