Rescue efforts are in progress as floods in Nigeria. According to a local disaster response spokeswoman who talked to AFP on Saturday, flash floods earlier this week in central Nigeria killed over 150 people, displaced 3,000, levelled over 250 homes, and washed away two bridges.
Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesperson for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told AFP that the dead were found some 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the town of Mokwa, the epicenter of the floods, marking a dramatic increase from the previous death toll of 115.
President Bola Tinubu stated that search and rescue efforts were in progress, with security personnel assisting with the disaster response, but Husseini cautioned that the death toll would possibly increase, with bodies being washed away along the swift-moving Niger River.
“Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay” in Mokwa, which was struck by heavy rains late Wednesday through early Thursday, Tinubu wrote in a social media post made overnight.
The town, which is more than 350 kilometres (215 miles) by road from the capital Abuja, saw buildings collapse and roads flood on Friday, according to an AFP journalist in Mokwa.
As floodwaters poured alongside, homeowners and emergency personnel dug through the debris.
According to Husseini, “some bodies were recovered from the debris of collapsed homes,” but his crews would require excavators to recover corpses.
He mentioned a family of twelve, of which only four had been found as of Friday, and claimed that many more were still missing.
Mohammed Tanko, a 29-year-old public servant, pointed to his childhood home and told reporters, “We lost at least 15 from this house.” The property is no longer there. We lost everything.
The Nigerian Red Cross, local volunteers, the military, and the police were all assisting in the response, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Husseini gave statistics showing that in the bustling, rural market town, 151 people were murdered, 3,018 were displaced, 265 dwellings were “destroyed,” and two bridges were washed away.
Climate change
The rainy season in Nigeria, which typically lasts six months, has just begun.
Every year, flooding, which is typically brought on by heavy rains and inadequate infrastructure, wreaks havoc and claims hundreds of lives throughout the west African nation.
Scientists have cautioned that climate change is fueling more extreme weather patterns.
Inadequate drainage, building residences on waterways, and disposing of rubbish in drains and water channels all contribute to Nigeria’s flooding problems.
“This tragic incident serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with building on waterways and the critical importance of keeping drainage channels and river paths clear,” NEMA stated in a statement.
The Daily Trust newspaper reports the disappearance of over 50 pupils from an Islamic school and the displacement of thousands of people.
A warning sounded.
Between Wednesday and Friday, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency issued warnings about the possibility of flash floods in 15 of the 36 states in Nigeria, including Niger state.
According to NEMA, 2024 was one of the worst flood seasons in Nigeria’s history, with over 1,200 fatalities and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 of the 36 states.
On Friday, displaced children played in the floodwaters, increasing the risk of contracting waterborne illnesses. At least two bodies were found nearby, wrapped in patterned ankara fabric and banana leaves.
50-year-old yam vendor Sabuwar Bala told reporters how she managed to flee the rushing waters: “…someone loaned me all I’m wearing now.” Even my flip-flops went missing.
“I can’t locate where my home stood because of the destruction,” she continued.
