Panic as 2 found dead over suspected cholera outbreak in Ebonyi

There was panic as residents of, off Barr Okwuegbu Egenti drive by Okemini Nwogbaga street, 99 corner, Ogbaga road, Abakaliki fleed their homes following the death of one Uncle Light and his deceased son who were suspectedly died of diarrhea disease.

However, some source alleged that the man and his son who have unclear marriage history might have died of food poison as a woman living with him ran away ahead of the ugly incident. The incident which occured Friday afternoon at the Abakaliki suburb, involving deceased Uncle Light and his son, Miracle reportedly occured after the late miracle raised alarm for help and crawled down to the gate where he gave up the ghost before the intervention of neighbors who rushed him with Oral Dehydrated Salt(ORS).

According to a resident of the area who spoke on the ground of anonymity, said that the deceased who hailed from Ezza Local Government Area of the state had lived in the compound for over two years before the incident occured. He narrated that late Uncle Light who died with his son, Miracle,an iron bender by profession, were seen a day before the incident occured, but was surprised to hear a voice coming from that direction in the wee hour of the night and early Friday morning were late Miracle was calling for help. "We started hearing a voice from that side in the midnight and when I told my wife, she told me that it might be a mad man, as there's a psychiatric home besides us, and same voice came again early this morning when I suspected this thing is happening outside the psychiatric center. "And, when my wife went to tether our goats, brought a report that she saw people gathered in this place, then, I called Special Assistant to the Governor on Primary Health and many others including commissioner for Health who later sent Ambulance, but it was already late as the woman who is living with them refused to give us information about their health. "It was a clear symptom of diarrhea, this one here,(pointing at deceased body of miracles) was still breathing then, but the woman who is staying with them did not manage it well." he narrated.

He appealed with the state ministry of health and environment to urgently send team that would fumigate the place as most residents have fled their homes for fear of contamination and spread of the suspected disease. However, efforts to speak with the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Ekuma was unsuccessful as he didn't pick calls nor respond to text sent to him. Meanwhile, Kpiri-kpiri Division of Nigeria police have evacuated the deceased bodies as at the time of this report while the street is still scanty due to fear of police arrest and disease spread.