Tragedy struck in the early hours of Wednesday at the Ogechukwu area of Awka, Anambra State when a middle-aged petty trader lost her life while drawing water from a well in her residence.

The deceased, a native of Ugbenu in Awka North local government area of the state who was simply identified as ifenyinwa, an epileptic patient, was said to have gone to draw water from the well around 7.AM when tragedy struck.

According to some residents of the area, the irregular seizure she experiences got hold of her while she was attempting to draw water from the well. As a result, the rope cut off, flinging her into the well.

In a chat with our News Express correspondent, a neighbour, who pleaded anonymity, said nobody could be blamed for the misfortune, adding that the deceased had been fetching water from the well over the years she had lived in the compound.

He said: "I think she was just destined to go that way. That was not her first time of fetching water from the well.

"Even though she suffered from epilepsy, she had been engaged in some other tedious activities, including visiting village markets where she purchased fruits she sold."

On her part, a neighbour who gave her name as Justina, blamed the incident on her relatives and neighbours, saying they should not have allowed her to fetch water herself in view of her health challenge.

She said that she may not have died that way if she had been assisted to fetch the water.

It was, however, gathered that Ifeyinwa's lifeless body was later brought out of the well by a swimming expert who jumped into the well with the assistance of a rope tied to a ladder.

When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident, residents of the area and other sympathisers were seen standing in circles in the compound, expressing shock over the incident and consoling the deceased family.

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