Death toll in Nigeria floods rises to 151, World News
Flooding in Nigeria's Niger State this week has killed 151 people and forced several thousand from their homes, an emergency official told Reuters on Saturday (May 31).
Ibrahim Audu Hussaini, director of information at the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, provided the new death toll, which was previously reported at 117 on Friday.
He added that over 500 households had been impacted and more than 3,000 people displaced.
The flooding incident in the central town of Mokwa in Niger State occurred on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning. Days later, rescuers were still picking through mud and debris in search of bodies.
Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April.
In 2022, the country's worst wave of floods in more than a decade killed more than 600 people, displaced around 1.4 million and destroyed 440,000 hectares (1.09 million acres) of farmland.
ALSO READ: Nearly 300 prisoners escape Nigerian prison after floods
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Canada, US warn of air quality hazards as Canadian fire smoke reaches Europe
Pedestrians walk along Lake Superior as a haze from Canadian wildfire smoke causes poor air quality in Duluth, Minnesota, on June 3. PHOTO: REUTERS Canada, US warn of air quality hazards as Canadian fire smoke reaches Europe OTTAWA - Canada's wildfires, which have already forced evacuations of more than 26,000 people, continued their stubborn spread on June 3, with heavy smoke choking millions of Canadians and Americans and reaching as far away as Europe. Alerts were issued for parts of Canada and the neighbouring United States warning of hazardous air quality. A water tanker air base was consumed by flames in Saskatchewan province, oil production has been disrupted in Alberta, and officials warned of worse to come with more communities threatened each day. 'We have some challenging days ahead of us,' Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told a news conference, adding that the number of evacuees could rise quickly. Every summer, Canada grapples with forest fires, but an early start to the wildfire season in 2025 and the scale of the blazes – over two million hectares burned – is worrying. The provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been the hardest hit. Both declared wildfire emergencies in recent days. 'This has been a very difficult time for many Canadians,' federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski told reporters in Ottawa. 'This wildfire season has started off more quickly, and it's stronger, more intense,' she said, adding that the Canadian military has deployed aircraft to evacuate remote towns in Manitoba and was ready to also assist Saskatchewan and Alberta with firefighting. Climate change has increased the impact of extreme weather events in Canada, which is still recovering from the apocalyptic summer of 2023 when 15 million hectares of forests were scorched. As of June 3, there were 208 active fires across Canada. Half of them were listed as out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Many of the affected populations are Indigenous, and some small communities have burned to the ground. 'Very intense few weeks' Heavy smoke from the fires, meanwhile, has engulfed part of the continent, forcing residents of four Canadian provinces and the US states of Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin to limit outdoor activities. 'Smoke is causing very poor air quality and reduced visibility,' Environment Canada said in a statement. Wildfire smoke is comprised of gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide, along with water vapor and particle pollution, which can be particularly hazardous to health. Some of the worst smoke was in Alberta where three major oil sands producers – Canadian Natural Resources, MEG Energy Corp, and Cenovus Energy – this week evacuated workers and temporarily shut down hundreds of thousands of barrels of production per day. Huge plumes of smoke even reached Europe, the European Union's climate monitoring service said on June 3. Due to their very high altitude, they do not pose an immediate health risk, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), but are likely to result in hazy skies and reddish-orange sunsets. Additional plumes are expected to shade both continents in the coming days. 'Central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions,' noted Dr Mark Parrington, scientific director at CAMS. Canadian authorities have forecast a more intense fire season than usual in central and western Canada, due in particular to severe or extreme drought. 'The significant reduction in snowpack in the spring led to early exposure of soil and vegetation, accelerating surface drying,' explained University of Ottawa professor Hossein Bonakdari. 'This early exposure acted as a silent amplifier, subtly setting the stage for extreme fires long before the first flame ignited,' he said. Elsewhere, extensive forest fires have been raging in Russia's Far Eastern Federal District since early April, particularly east of Lake Baikal, generating carbon emissions of around 35 million tons, Copernicus reported. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Straits Times
Tourists told to heed warnings after huge Mount Etna eruption
Plumes of ash and volcanic steam rise from Mount Etna, as seen from Milo, Italy, on June 2. PHOTO: REUTERS CATANIA, Italy – Tourists have been told to check for warnings before climbing towards the summit of Italy's Mount Etna after an eruption sent hikers scurrying for safety. Video footage from the eruption on June 2 showed dozens of people hurrying down a path as a large plume of ash rose behind them from the volcano on the eastern side of the island of Sicily. Mr Salvo Cocina, head of Sicily's Civil Protection Department, said dozens of hikers ventured on to Etna despite a warning issued early on June 2 after initial signs of increased activity on Europe's largest active volcano. 'There was a big explosion and a crater collapsed, but luckily it fell into a deserted area,' he told Reuters on June 3. 'It's very hard to block access. You can't fence it off,' he added. Mr Cocina said those on the mountain on June 2, who had climbed to a height of some 2,700m, appeared to be properly equipped, and he acknowledged the need to balance safety concerns with the desire of tourists to enjoy the views. Nobody was injured in the June 2 eruption, and the alert for volcanic activity has been downgraded to the more standard 'yellow' level on June 3. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Straits Times
Tourists told to heed warnings after Etna eruption
Volcanic steam rises from Mount Etna, as seen from Milo, Italy, June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Marco Restivo/ File Photo Volcanic steam rises from Mount Etna, as seen from Milo, Italy, June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Marco Restivo Plumes of ash and volcanic steam rise from Mount Etna, as seen from Milo, Italy, June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Marco Restivo CATANIA, Italy - Tourists have been told to check for warnings before climbing towards the summit of Italy's Mount Etna after an eruption sent hikers scurrying for safety. Video footage from Monday's eruption showed dozens of people hurrying down a path as a large plume of ash rose behind them from the volcano on the eastern side of the island of Sicily. Salvo Cocina, the head of Sicily's Civil Protection Department, said dozens of hikers had ventured on to Etna despite a warning issued early on Monday morning after initial signs of increased activity on Europe's largest active volcano. "There was a big explosion and a crater collapsed but luckily it fell into a deserted area," he told Reuters on Tuesday. "It's very hard to block access, you can't fence it off," he added. Cocina said those on the mountain on Monday, who had climbed to a height of some 2,700 metres, appeared to be properly equipped and he acknowledged the need to balance safety concerns with the desire of tourists to enjoy the views. Nobody was injured in Monday's eruption and the alert for volcanic activity had been downgraded to the more standard "yellow" level on Tuesday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
