Monday, July 13, 2026 - A devastating landslide triggered by torrential rainfall buried five people alive, including four siblings from the same family in Ikot Awatim Community in Ikot Ansa, Calabar Municipality Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The tragedy occurred on Friday night, 10 July 2026, after
hours of heavy rainfall that has continued to batter Calabar, causing
widespread flooding and destruction of property in several parts of the city.
Residents were left in shock and mourning as community
youths mounted frantic rescue efforts through the night, only to recover the
lifeless bodies of the victims from the rubble.
The victims were identified as four children of Mr. and Mrs.
Kingsley Etim Edu and a man identified simply as Mr. Udo, believed to be a
tanker driver attached to a fuel depot.
The deceased siblings were Bright Kingsley Edu (18),
Godswill Kingsley Edu (12), Daniel Kingsley Edu (11), and Richard Kingsley Edu
(10).
According to residents, the children’s mother was attending
a church service when the rain began.
Concerned about the weather, the children reportedly left
the church ahead of her to return home.
Their father, a Homeland Security personnel, was away on
duty.
Speaking to Cross River Watch at the scene on Saturday, July
11, the devastated mother, Mrs. Mercy Kingsley Edu, popularly known as Mama
Uwana, struggled to come to terms with the unimaginable loss staring at
intensified while they were in church.
Her children decided to rush home before the downpour
worsened.
According to her, the children arrived home, changed into
dry clothes and lay down to rest on their bed, unaware that disaster was
moments away.
She said the collapsing earth buried the house, trapping the
children beneath the debris.
In tears, she said that everything the family owned was
swallowed by the landslide.
“Everything was buried in the landslide, taking my children
and leaving us hopeless and homeless,” she cried.
Overwhelmed with grief, she repeatedly questioned why
tragedy had struck her family.
"Why me? Why me? Four out of seven gone in one day. At
least it should have been an accident that claimed their legs, not four
children buried in one day. Where will I start? My husband never buys anything
for himself because he wants his children to go to school. Three boys and a
girl… all gone.”
Her husband, Mr. Kingsley Edu, who serves as a Homeland
Security personnel, was too devastated to speak as sympathizers gathered around
the family.
The bodies of the four deceased were buried shortly after
they were recovered, while the remains of Mr. Udo were deposited in a mortuary.
The tragedy has thrown Ikot Awatim Community into mourning,
with residents and sympathizers trooping to the scene to console the bereaved
family and witness the scale of the devastation.
Community members have appealed to the Cross River State
Government, led by Governor Bassey Edet Otu, as well as well-meaning Cross
Riverians, to come to the aid of the bereaved family, who have not only lost
four children but have also been left without shelter after their home was
destroyed by the landslide.
Watch the video below :
"Why me? Why me? Mother of 6 overwhelmed by grief after landslide kills 4 of her children pic.twitter.com/9Qe5hrsEfv
— DAILY POST 🇳🇬 (@dailypost_ng) July 13, 2026
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