By Hou Akot Hou
A 60-year-old woman lost her life when her house collapsed on her in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
The victim, who was a neighbor of the Nyalath payam administrator, Mr. James Mou, had traveled to a farm area with her young daughter to stay in a tukul (a traditional grass-thatched hut) while they worked on the land.
However, due to heavy rainfall that had been ongoing for days, the tukul collapsed, killing the woman on the spot.
“The old woman is my own neighbor. She traveled and lived in the tukul with her young daughter who was looking after her while on the farm, far from the house in Apada, near Aweil,” Mou recounted.
“Due to heavy downpours for days, the house fell on her, and the houses are so scattered as they are living in the field or farms, so nobody immediately came to her aid.”
Mou, who was called to the scene, said he and others attempted to remove the woman’s body, but she had already succumbed to her injuries.
The administrator also revealed that the woman had been unwell since January, but had received treatment and recovered before deciding to move to the farm with her daughter.
“I was called, and when I rushed there, I and the rest removed her, but she was no more,” Mou said.
The tragic incident has prompted a call for caution from the authorities, who urge the public to be vigilant about the structural integrity of their homes, especially during heavy rainfall, which can weaken the structures and put lives at risk.
In a separate incident, a teenage boda boda (motorcycle rider) was also reported to have died in an accident in the Zarah neighborhood of Aweil Town on the same day.
The boy was taken to the Aweil hospital, where his body is being held in the morgue as his relatives are yet to identify him.
The authorities have cautioned people to exercise caution when using the roads, as the heavy rainfall has caused poor road conditions, leading to an increase in accident-related deaths this month.