A tragedy occurred at Umunwokoji-Umuayalu village in Egbu autonomous community, Owerri North Local Council of Imo State, at the weekend, as four persons died while evacuating sewage.

According to a source, the four young men went to evacuate a septic tank. They agreed that one person should go into the tank to fetch the waste while the others take turns emptying the sludge.

However, after entering the tank, it was noticed that the man neither spoke to the others nor sent up any waste, prompting a second man to go down and find out the problem.

The source explained that the second person suffered a similar fate until all four died in a similar pattern. The Guardian learnt that their bodies were subsequently deposited in a morgue in the area.

A native of the area, who identified himself as Oke, said: “That is the calamity that befell us today. One of the victims got married recently. His wife is nursing a one-month-old baby. Their bodies have been deposited in a mortuary.”
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