Two teenage brothers drowned on Tuesday in a river known as Omileye in Ore, the headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, after heavy rainfall caused the river to overflow its banks.
The siblings were reportedly swept away while attempting to cross the river on their way home from summer classes, after visiting their father’s mechanic workshop to wait out the rain.
It was gathered that the two boys had waited at their father’s workshop for the rain to subside before heading home.
A source in the area explained that the boys left the workshop when the rain stopped, unaware that the flood had washed away the bridge.
She said, “It rained all day. It was a terrible day. The father of the boys became worried when he returned home and found they were not there. He had to organise a search party.
“After hours of searching, the search party discovered the lifeless bodies of the two boys at different points along the riverbank, trapped in debris.”
The tragic development threw the community into mourning, as residents gathered to sympathise with the bereaved family.
Many residents lamented the lack of adequate infrastructure to prevent such tragedies, noting that the river had long been a death trap due to the absence of a footbridge.
“Every rainy season, this river becomes a threat. We’ve complained severally. Government must wake up before more lives are lost.”
