Two children have died after drowning in a muddy floodwater retention site on Erediauwa Street, off Sapele Road, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, involved four minors who were said to have been playing near the government-designated floodwater collection area when they accidentally slipped into the muddy pit.
A resident, who requested anonymity, said the children strayed into the site without realising the danger posed by the waterlogged ground.
He explained that by the time help arrived, two of the victims had already lost their lives, while the other two were pulled out alive and taken to a nearby hospital, where medical personnel were able to revive them.
“The area is usually muddy because it serves as a floodwater collection point. Unfortunately, the children went there to play and fell in. Two of them did not survive, but the others were rescued and treated at the hospital,” the source said.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, Eno Ikoedem, said officers responded swiftly after receiving information about the incident.
She noted that two of the children were found dead at the scene, while the remaining two were rescued and taken for medical care.
