Death toll reaches 151 in north-central Nigerian town submerged in floods, with thousands displaced – Washington Examiner
In north-central Nigeria,devastating flooding has lead to a rising death toll of at least 151 in the town of Mokwa,known as a key trading and transportation hub for local farmers. The floods were triggered by heavy rainfall early Thursday and have displaced over 3,000 residents.Local emergency services reported that approximately 500 households were affected, with images showing roofs barely above water and residents wading through waist-deep floods in a frantic effort to salvage belongings and rescue others. President Bola Tinubu has expressed condolences and mobilized emergency support efforts, including assistance from security agencies. The situation is exacerbated by ongoing climate challenges, as northern Nigeria has faced droughts and then extreme rainfall, leading to severe flooding during the wet season. Local leaders are calling for overdue flood-control measures to prevent future disasters.
Death toll reaches 151 in north-central Nigerian town submerged in floods, with thousands displaced
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The death toll from devastating flooding in a market town in Nigeria’s north-central state of Niger rose to at least 151 on Saturday, the local emergency service said, amid efforts to find more victims.
Torrents of predawn rainfall early Thursday unleashed the devastating flood on Mokwa, nearly 236 miles west of Abuja and a major trading and transportation hub where northern Nigerian farmers sell beans, onions, and other food to traders from the south.
The spokesman for the Niger State emergency service, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, confirmed the updated fatality count to the Associated Press on Saturday. In addition to the rising death toll, 11 people were injured and more than 3,000 people were displaced, the official added.
At least 500 households across three communities were affected by the sudden and intense flood that built rapidly in about five hours, leaving roofs barely visible and surviving residents waist-deep in water, trying to salvage what they could and rescue others.
Husseini added that two roads were washed away and two bridges collapsed.
In a statement on Friday night, President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences and said he had directed the activation of an emergency response to support victims and “accelerate” recovery.
He said that security agencies have also been asked to assist in emergency operations, which remain underway amid concerns that more bodies could be recovered in remote areas.
“Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay,” the president said, promising “no Nigerian affected will be left behind or unheard of.”
Flooding is common during Nigeria’s wet season. Communities in northern Nigeria have been experiencing prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change and excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during the brief wet season. But this flood has been particularly deadly in Mokwa, a farming region near the banks of the River Niger.
Mokwa community leader Aliki Musa told the Associated Press the villagers are not used to such flooding.
The chairman of the Mokwa local government area, Jibril Muregi, told local news website Premium Times that construction of flood-control works was long overdue.
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