Nigeria, Aug. 25, 2016 – At least four contractors working for the World Bank have drowned at Egbe Dam in Egbe Ekiti, Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
Speaking to newsmen on the development, Chairman of Gboyin Local Government, Folasade Akinrinmola said the incident occurred on Wednesday night adding that those involved were a team of seven contractors employed by the World Bank on an assessment mission of the dam.
According to her, the team had commenced work on Tuesday night from a section of the dam and moving to the other section when the incident happened.
She said the traditional ruler of Egbe notified her of the incident. “We immediately mobilized a rescue team and an ambulance and in the process, those wearing life jackets were rescued. The rescued people were the ones who told us that others were in the water. The bodies of those that had drowned were later retrieved by the local fishermen. One of the dead victims was said to be the son of the leader of the team who providentially escaped unhurt.
“We believe that they came to Ekiti based on some of the proposals we had written on the dam on how it can be put to use. We believe that the World Bank has started work on the dam based on their findings,” she told reporters, adding that the dead have since been deposited at the mortuary in Ode-Ekiti, the headquarters of the council area.
DSP Alberto Adeyemi, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Police Command, also confirmed the development.
“It is true that the boat transporting the team capsized, four of them died while three survived.”
