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Al-Ahram Weekly
6 days ago
- Climate
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Nigeria flooding death toll jumps past 200 - Africa
Flash flooding in north-central Nigeria last week killed more than 200 people, the Niger state humanitarian commissioner said Tuesday, while hundreds more remain missing and are feared dead. The town of Mokwa was hit with the worst flash flood in living memory Thursday from overnight rains, with more than 250 homes destroyed and swathes of the town wiped out in a single morning. The announcement comes after several days of the official toll standing at around 150, even as residents were sometimes missing more than a dozen members in a single family. "We have more than 200... corpses," Ahmad Suleiman told Nigerian broadcaster Channels Television, adding: "Nobody can tell you the number of casualties in Niger state right now because up till now, we are still looking for some corpses." "We're still looking for more," he added. But, he said, "sincerely speaking, we cannot ascertain." Given the number of people still missing nearly a week later, the toll from a single morning of flooding in Mokwa could be worse than all of 2024 combined, which saw 321 deaths from flooding across the country. Climate change has made weather swings in Nigeria more extreme, but residents in Mokwa said human factors were also at play. Water had been building up for days behind an abandoned railway track that runs along the edge of the town, residents told AFP. Floodwaters would usually pass through a couple of culverts in the mounds and run into a narrow channel. But debris had blocked the culverts, forcing water to build up behind the clay walls that eventually gave way. Floods in Nigeria are often exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. Volunteers and disaster response teams have recovered bodies nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) away after they were swept into the Niger River. Days before the disaster struck Mokwa, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. When AFP reporters visited the town earlier this week, a powerful stench filled the air, which residents said came from decaying corpses trapped under the rubble. The government said it has delivered aid, but locals have criticised what they say is a lacklustre response, with multiple families telling AFP they hadn't received anything. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Climate
- Kuwait Times
Nigeria flood death toll jumps past 200
MOKWA: A woman stands next to debris from damaged buildings in Mokwa after the town was hit by torrential rains overnight Wednesday into Thursday, with the flooding displacing more than 3,000 people. – AFP ABUJA: Flash flooding in north-central Nigeria last week killed more than 200 people, the Niger state humanitarian commissioner said Tuesday, while hundreds more remain missing and are feared dead. The town of Mokwa was hit with the worst flash flood in living memory Thursday from overnight rains, with more than 250 homes destroyed and swathes of the town wiped out in a single morning. The announcement comes after several days of the official toll standing at around 150, even as residents were sometimes missing more than a dozen members in a single family. 'We have more than 200... corpses,' Ahmad Suleiman told Nigerian broadcaster Channels Television, adding: 'Nobody can tell you the number of casualties in Niger state right now because up till now, we are still looking for some corpses.' 'We're still looking for more,' he added. But, he said, 'sincerely speaking, we cannot ascertain.' Given the number of people still missing nearly a week later, the toll from a single morning of flooding in Mokwa could be worse than all of 2024 combined, which saw 321 deaths from flooding across the country. Climate change has made weather swings in Nigeria more extreme, but residents in Mokwa said human factors were also at play. Water had been building up for days behind an abandoned railway track that runs along the edge of the town, residents told AFP. Floodwaters would usually pass through a couple of culverts in the mounds and run into a narrow channel. But debris had blocked the culverts, forcing water to build up behind the clay walls that eventually gave way. Floods in Nigeria are often exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. Volunteers and disaster response teams have recovered bodies nearly 10 kilometers away after they were swept into the Niger River. Days before the disaster struck Mokwa, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. When AFP reporters visited the town earlier this week, a powerful stench filled the air, which residents said came from decaying corpses trapped under the rubble. The government said it has delivered aid, but locals have criticized what they say is a lacklustre response, with multiple families telling AFP they hadn't received anything. — AFP
Daily Tribune
6 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Tribune
Nigeria flooding death toll jumps past 200
AFP | Flash flooding in north-central Nigeria last week killed more than 200 people, the Niger state humanitarian commissioner said Tuesday, while hundreds more remain missing and are feared dead. The town of Mokwa was hit with the worst flash flood in living memory Thursday from overnight rains, with more than 250 homes destroyed and swathes of the town wiped out in a single morning. The announcement comes after several days of the official toll standing at around 150, even as residents were sometimes missing more than a dozen members in a single family. "We have more than 200… corpses," Ahmad Suleiman told Nigerian broadcaster Channels Television, adding: "Nobody can tell you the number of casualties in Niger state right now because up till now, we are still looking for some corpses." "We're still looking for more," he added. But, he said, "sincerely speaking, we cannot ascertain." Given the number of people still missing nearly a week later, the toll from a single morning of flooding in Mokwa could be worse than all of 2024 combined, which saw 321 deaths from flooding across the country. Climate change has made weather swings in Nigeria more extreme, but residents in Mokwa said human factors were also at play. Water had been building up for days behind an abandoned railway track that runs along the edge of the town, residents told AFP. Floodwaters would usually pass through a couple of culverts in the mounds and run into a narrow channel. But debris had blocked the culverts, forcing water to build up behind the clay walls that eventually gave way. Floods in Nigeria are often exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. Volunteers and disaster response teams have recovered bodies nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) away after they were swept into the Niger River. Days before the disaster struck Mokwa, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. When AFP reporters visited the town earlier this week, a powerful stench filled the air, which residents said came from decaying corpses trapped under the rubble. The government said it has delivered aid, but locals have criticised what they say is a lacklustre response, with multiple families telling AFP they hadn't received anything.
Japan Today
6 days ago
- Climate
- Japan Today
Nigeria flooding death toll jumps past 200
By Nicholas ROLL Flash flooding in north-central Nigeria last week killed more than 200 people, the Niger state humanitarian commissioner said Tuesday, while hundreds more remain missing and are feared dead. The town of Mokwa was hit with the worst flash flood in living memory Thursday from overnight rains, with more than 250 homes destroyed and swathes of the town wiped out in a single morning. The announcement comes after several days of the official toll standing at around 150, even as residents were sometimes missing more than a dozen members in a single family. "We have more than 200... corpses," Ahmad Suleiman told Nigerian broadcaster Channels Television, adding: "Nobody can tell you the number of casualties in Niger state right now because up till now, we are still looking for some corpses. "We're still looking for more," he added. But, he said, "sincerely speaking, we cannot ascertain." Given the number of people still missing nearly a week later, the toll from a single morning of flooding in Mokwa could be worse than all of 2024 combined, which saw 321 deaths from flooding across the country. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday that the death toll was 159. Climate change has made weather swings in Nigeria more extreme, but residents in Mokwa said human factors were also at play. Water had been building up for days behind an abandoned railway track that runs along the edge of the town, residents told AFP. It would usually pass through a couple of culverts in the mounds and run into a narrow channel. But debris had blocked the culverts, forcing water to build up behind the clay walls that eventually gave way. Floods in Nigeria are often exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. Federal water management minister Joseph Utsev said that the flooding was "caused by heavy rainfall due to extreme weather conditions occasioned by climate change", though he also cautioned against "unregulated structures" and called on local governments to maintain their drainage channels. Volunteers and disaster response teams have recovered bodies nearly 10 kilometers away after they were swept into the Niger River. Days before the disaster struck Mokwa, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. When AFP reporters visited the town earlier this week, a powerful stench filled the air, which residents said came from decaying corpses trapped under the rubble. The government said it has delivered aid, but locals have criticized what they say is a lackluster response, with multiple families telling AFP they hadn't received anything. The National Emergency Management Agency issued another statement Tuesday saying it was "working tirelessly to provide immediate assistance to affected residents". © 2025 AFP
News24
7 days ago
- Climate
- News24
Nigeria flooding death toll jumps past 200
Flash floods in Mokwa, Nigeria, killed over 200 people, with many still missing. Locals blame blocked culverts and poor drainage for worsening the disaster. Residents say aid has been slow despite government promises. Flash flooding in north-central Nigeria last week killed more than 200 people, the Niger state humanitarian commissioner said on Tuesday, while hundreds more remain missing and are feared dead. The town of Mokwa was hit with the worst flash flood in living memory on Thursday from overnight rains, with more than 250 homes destroyed and swathes of the town wiped out in a single morning. The announcement comes after several days of the official toll standing at around 150, even as residents were sometimes missing more than a dozen members in a single family. 'We have more than 200... corpses,' Ahmad Suleiman told Nigerian broadcaster Channels Television, adding: 'Nobody can tell you the number of casualties in Niger state right now because up till now, we are still looking for some corpses.' 'We're still looking for more,' he added. But, he said, 'sincerely speaking, we cannot ascertain.' Given the number of people still missing nearly a week later, the toll from a single morning of flooding in Mokwa could be worse than all of 2024 combined, which saw 321 deaths from flooding across the country. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency said on Tuesday that the death toll was 159. Climate change, human factors Climate change has made weather swings in Nigeria more extreme, but residents in Mokwa said human factors were also at play. Water had been building up for days behind an abandoned railway track that runs along the edge of the town, residents told AFP. It would usually pass through a couple of culverts in the mounds and run into a narrow channel. But debris had blocked the culverts, forcing water to build up behind the clay walls that eventually gave way. Floods in Nigeria are often exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. Federal water management minister Joseph Utsev said that the flooding was 'caused by heavy rainfall due to extreme weather conditions occasioned by climate change', though he also cautioned against 'unregulated structures' and called on local governments to maintain their drainage channels. Volunteers and disaster response teams have recovered bodies nearly 10 kilometres away after they were swept into the Niger River. Warnings issued Days before the disaster struck Mokwa, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. When AFP reporters visited the town earlier this week, a powerful stench filled the air, which residents said came from decaying corpses trapped under the rubble. The government said it has delivered aid, but locals have criticised what they say is a lacklustre response, with multiple families telling AFP they hadn't received anything. The National Emergency Management Agency issued another statement on Tuesday saying it was 'working tirelessly to provide immediate assistance to affected residents'.
