Flooding: Panic in Bayelsa community over floating corpses at cemetery

Residents of Yenogoa, the Bayelsa capital, have raised concerns after floating corpses which surfaced at a cemetery in Azikoro area. 

Iselema Gbaranbiri, the commissioner for environment who is also the chairman of the state task force on flood mitigation and management, confirmed the discovery of the corpses to NAN on Tuesday.

Gbaranbiri said he got the report of a floating corpse and had directed the head of health and sanitation to get the corpse reburied.

The commissioner said two other corpses were reburied, while the environment has been properly fumigated.

“The floating of corpses was actually reported. I got the report of a floating corpse and I directed the head of health and sanitation to get the corpse reburied. Two more corpses were recovered and reburied and the environment was properly fumigated,” he said.

Meanwhile, residents near the area have appealed to the state government to relocate the cemetery to safeguard public health.

They expressed concerns that the chemical applied to the area and stench from decomposing corpses pose serious health hazards to residents, and urged the government to provide relief for the residents.

Jeremiah Owoupele, one of the residents, appealed to Douye Diri, the state governor, to relocate the cemetery for health reasons.

Bayelsa is one of many states affected by recent flooding, which has resulted in hundreds of deaths and left millions displaced across the country.

The flooding has compelled the electricity company in charge of the state to shut down public power supply amid safety concerns and to avoid electrocution.