At least 151 killed in Nigerian flash flooding
People search for victims after Friday's flash flooding killed at least 151 in Mokwa, Nigeria, following torrential rains on Wednesday and Thursday. Photo by Afolabi Sotunde/EPA-EFE
May 31 (UPI) -- Torrential rains over two days caused flash flooding that killed at least 151 people in Mokwa, Nigeria.
The death toll is expected to climb in the city that has a population of more than 416,000 and is located 235 miles west of the Nigerian capital of Abuja, the BBC reported Saturday. The flash flooding was Friday.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency initially reported 115 deaths but revised the number to 151 and expects to find more deceased victimsas the flood waters recede.
Floodwaters swept the bodies of many victims into the Niger River that flows below the city on Thursday and Friday.
More than 500 homes and 3,000 people were impacted by the flash flooding that caught local officials by surprise. Many families lost multiple members.
A total of 11 people were reported as rescued and taken to local hospitals for treatment.
Localized flooding was expected before the storm, but the severity overwhelmed the city.
"We had to knock on some doors, but before people could escape, the flood had already caught up," shop owner Umar Jamil told The New York Times.
"We have seen many bodies floating in the river, but we couldn't help," he said.
It had been 60 years since a flood of such magnitude struck the city, Mokwa leader Muhammad Shaba Aliyu told the BBC.
The city is located along the northern bank of the Niger River, and the floodwaters caused a local bridge to collapse into the river.
The bridge's collapse left many motorists stranded as the flash flooding worsened.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered all available emergency and security personnel to "intensify ongoing search and rescue operations" in Mokwa, the BBC reported.
Torrential rains began falling Wednesday and continued through Thursday, leading to Friday's deadly flash flooding.
The flooding occurred near the start of Nigeria's rainy season, which lasts from April through October.
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