A couple, their three children, and the grandmother died on Friday, September 18, 2026, after an overhead water tank toppled onto their home in Nenwenta, a community in Awgu Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State. The incident, which occurred during heavy rainfall, also left a four-year-old child alive after neighbours rushed to the site and pulled the survivor from the rubble.
Residents said the heavy rainfall triggered landslides in the area, and the force of the water caused the tank to collapse, completely destroying the structure beneath it. A video obtained from the scene, as reported by Premium Times, showed residents pulling bodies from the debris.
Landslide Cuts Off Community, Delays Rescue
The tragedy was compounded by a landslide that severed road access between Nenwenta and the rest of Enugu State, leaving residents stranded. Community members said they now have to travel through Abia and Imo States to reach other parts of Enugu, adding significant distance and difficulty to everyday movement.
The blocked access also meant emergency responders could not reach the community quickly enough after the tank fell. The delayed response by emergency services directly contributed to the loss of lives, according to Anthony Nwankwo, a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly who represents Awgu South State Constituency.
Lawmaker Raises Motion for Urgent Intervention
Nwankwo said the situation moved him to raise a motion of urgent public importance before the House, urging swift government intervention. He specifically appealed to the Enugu State Ministry of Works and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to mobilise resources and technical support to address the ecological challenge.
"I appeal to the Enugu State Ministry of Works and the National Emergency Management Agency to urgently mobilise resources and technical support to address the ecological challenge," Nwankwo said. He also offered condolences to the families of those killed and called for the government to maintain its focus on the affected communities until road access and safety were "fully restored."
Related Incident: Building Collapse in Kwara
In a separate incident, a three-storey building collapsed at Popo Giwa Street in Ilorin, Kwara State, trapping eight family members under the rubble. Five victims—a mother and four children—were buried according to Islamic rites as relatives gathered to pay condolences. The head of the family confirmed they had vacated the building, which failed an integrity test, and plan to pull it down.
