Flood Disaster: One Child Missing as Police Rescue Nine from Drowning School Bus

Police operatives in Anambra State have rescued seven schoolchildren and two adults after a school bus became trapped in floodwaters following heavy rainfall. One child, however, remains missing after the incident.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 22 September 2026, along the Nibo–Isiagu Road in Awka, Anambra State, as the children and adults travelled through the area amid severe flooding.

Flood Disaster: One Child Missing as Police Rescue Nine from Drowning School Bus

The Anambra State Police Command spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, said the command’s Safe School Operatives, working with concerned members of the community, responded swiftly after receiving information about the incident.

According to the police, the rescue team successfully evacuated nine people from the flooded vehicle. However, one of the children who had been travelling in the bus could not be accounted for after the rescue operation.

The command has since launched a sustained search-and-rescue operation to locate the missing child. The search is being conducted in collaboration with community members and other relevant stakeholders in the area.

Ikenga said the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, had directed that the operation be maintained and expanded until the child is found.

The police also appealed to residents, particularly those living or working along the affected route, to provide any information that could assist the authorities and other responding agencies in locating the missing child.

The command urged parents, guardians, school authorities and motorists to exercise extreme caution when approaching flooded roads, bridges and waterways, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.

Parents and guardians were further advised to ensure that children do not attempt to cross flooded roads or other potentially dangerous routes.

The police said they would continue to work with communities and relevant agencies under the Safe School Initiative to protect schoolchildren and minimise preventable loss of life during emergencies.

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Flood Disaster: One Child Missing as Police Rescue Nine from Drowning School Bus

Flood Disaster: One Child Missing as Police Rescue Nine from Drowning School Bus

Flood Disaster: One Child Missing as Police Rescue Nine from Drowning School Bus