At least four members of the same family have reportedly died after a water tank collapsed on their building at Nenwenta, in Awgu Local Council of Enugu State.

The incident occurred at the weekend following a landslide triggered by torrential rainfall, which reportedly eroded the base of the elevated water tank and caused it to collapse onto the building.

The victims were said to include a man, his wife, his aged mother and one of their children. The building was completely flattened in the incident.

A four-year-old child was later rescued alive from the rubble by emergency workers.

A video of the incident, which circulated online yesterday, showed residents gathered around the collapsed building, wailing as rescue workers searched through the debris.

Confirming the incident, the Enugu State House of Assembly said four people died in the collapse.

The member representing Awgu South State Constituency, Anthony Nwankwo, who raised a motion of urgent public importance on the incident, described the tragedy as devastating, saying the family was trapped after the water tank collapsed on their home.

Nwankwo said the victims might have been rescued alive if the road linking the affected communities had been accessible, adding that the landslide had made rescue operations difficult.

Moved by the tragedy, he urged the House to prevail on relevant government agencies to urgently intervene and restore access to Ugwueme and Nenwenta.

Contributing to the motion, lawmakers sympathised with Nwankwo and his constituents and agreed to write the relevant authorities for immediate intervention.

Members representing Ezeagu, Nkanu East and Oji River constituencies, Chima Obieze, Okey Mbah and Osita Eze, respectively, described the incident as a natural disaster.

They urged residents to avoid building close to hills or engaging in reckless excavation of soil and stones, warning that such activities could increase the risk of landslides.

The lawmakers also called on the Enugu State Ministry of Works, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ESMA) and the Ecological Fund Office to urgently intervene in the landslide that has cut off Ugwueme and Nenwenta from other parts of the state.

They appealed to the government to urgently open the affected road and restore access to the communities.