Latest news with #Husseini
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Death Toll Reaches 151 in North-Central Nigerian Town Submerged in Floods, with Thousands Displaced
The Associated Press People search in flooded area following a downpour in Mokwa, Nigeria, Friday, May 30, 2025. 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 380 kilometers (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 spokesperson 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 AP 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.
RTHK
3 days ago
- Climate
- RTHK
Rescue underway after Nigeria flood kills over 150
Rescue underway after Nigeria flood kills over 150 A person looks on in his collapsed house following a flooding that killed 151 people and forced several thousand from their homes in Mokwa, Nigeria. Photo: Reuters Search teams fanned out Saturday from the epicentre of deadly flash flooding in Nigeria, the Red Cross said, as the death toll from heavy rains in the north-central market town of Mokwa topped 150. The sharp rise in the toll came as bodies were recovered nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) from the town, where more than 250 buildings were levelled and two bridges were swept away, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, told AFP. Husseini said the toll could rise further, with bodies being swept down the powerful Niger River. Gideon Adamu, head of the Red Cross in Niger state, said that search teams were heading toward Jebba, on the opposite side of the waterway's swampy banks. Mokwa was hit by torrential rains Wednesday night into Thursday, with the flooding displacing more than 3,000 people, Husseini said. There were 121 injured in hospital, Adamu said, and more than 100 people were missing. Nigeria's rainy season, which usually lasts six months, is just getting started for the year. Heavy rains and poor infrastructure lead to flooding that wreaks havoc every year, killing hundreds of people across the west African country. Scientists have also warned that climate change is fuelling more extreme weather patterns. Residents in the town, around 350 kilometres by road from the capital Abuja, were still searching for relatives. In some cases, families were missing a dozen people. "We can't give up the search as long as there are families crying out," said Adamu, the Red Cross chief. According to a tally provided by Husseini, 151 people were killed, 3,018 were displaced, 265 houses were destroyed and two bridges were washed away in the busy market town. Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, pointed to a house he grew up in, telling reporters Friday: "We lost at least 15 from this house. The property (is) gone. We lost everything." Floods in Nigeria are exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. Complicating the search for missing persons was the presence of a large group of travellers staying overnight in a Mokwa mosque when the rains hit, Adamu said. The building collapsed and it was still unknown where the people had been travelling from. President Bola Tinubu said the disaster response was being aided by security forces. (AFP)
Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- Climate
- Eyewitness News
Rescuers fan out after Nigeria flooding kills more than 150
ABUJA, Nigeria - Search teams fanned out several kilometres from the epicentre of deadly flash flooding in Nigeria Saturday, the Red Cross said, as the death toll from heavy rains in the north-central market town of Mokwa topped 150. The sharp rise in the toll came as bodies were recovered nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) away from the town, where more than 250 buildings were levelled and two bridges were swept away, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told AFP. Husseini warned the toll could rise further, with bodies being swept down the powerful Niger River. Gideon Adamu, head of the Red Cross in Niger state, told AFP search teams were heading toward Jebba, on the opposite side of the waterway's swampy banks. Mokwa was hit by torrential rains Wednesday night into Thursday, with the flooding displacing more than 3,000, Husseini said. There were 121 injured in hospital, Adamu said, while more than 100 people were missing. Nigeria's rainy season, which usually lasts six months, is just getting started for the year. Flooding, usually caused by heavy rains and poor infrastructure, wreaks havoc every year, killing hundreds of people across the west African country. Scientists have also warned that climate change is fuelling more extreme weather patterns. 'We can't give up' Roads were still inundated in Mokwa on Friday, an AFP journalist observed, with Husseini saying his team would need excavators to reach bodies feared buried under the rubble. Residents in the town, some 350 kilometres by road from the capital Abuja, were still searching for loved ones. In some cases, families were missing a dozen people. Adamu, the Red Cross chief, told AFP "we can't give up the search as long as there are families crying out". "If there were some bodies that were carried away by the flooding, we'll find them in the farmland on the Jebba side." According to a tally shared by Husseini, 151 people were killed, 3,018 were displaced, 265 houses were destroyed and two bridges were washed away in the busy, rural market town. Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, pointed to a house he grew up in, telling reporters Friday: "We lost at least 15 from this house. The property (is) gone. We lost everything." Floods in Nigeria are exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. "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," the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement. Complicating the search for missing persons was the presence of a large group of travellers staying overnight in a Mokwa mosque when the rains hit, Adamu said. The building collapsed and it was still unknown where the people had been travelling from. President Bola Tinubu said the disaster response was being aided by security forces. Warning sounded The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. In 2024, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 out of Nigeria's 36 states, making it one of the country's worst flood seasons in decades, according to NEMA. Describing how she escaped the raging waters, Sabuwar Bala, a 50-year-old yam vendor, told reporters: "I was only wearing my underwear, someone loaned me all I'm wearing now. I couldn't even save my flip-flops." "I can't locate where my home stood because of the destruction," she said.
France 24
3 days ago
- Climate
- France 24
Rescuers fan out after Nigeria flooding kills more than 150
The sharp rise in the toll came as bodies were recovered nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) away from the town, where more than 250 buildings were levelled and two bridges were swept away, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told AFP. Husseini warned the toll could rise further, with bodies being swept down the powerful Niger River. Gideon Adamu, head of the Red Cross in Niger state, told AFP search teams were heading toward Jebba, on the opposite side of the waterway's swampy banks. Mokwa was hit by torrential rains Wednesday night into Thursday, with the flooding displacing more than 3,000, Husseini said. There were 121 injured in hospital, Adamu said, while more than 100 people were missing. Nigeria's rainy season, which usually lasts six months, is just getting started for the year. Flooding, usually caused by heavy rains and poor infrastructure, wreaks havoc every year, killing hundreds of people across the west African country. Scientists have also warned that climate change is fuelling more extreme weather patterns. 'We can't give up' Roads were still inundated in Mokwa on Friday, an AFP journalist observed, with Husseini saying his team would need excavators to reach bodies feared buried under the rubble. Residents in the town, some 350 kilometres by road from the capital Abuja, were still searching for loved ones. In some cases, families were missing a dozen people. Adamu, the Red Cross chief, told AFP "we can't give up the search as long as there are families crying out". "If there were some bodies that were carried away by the flooding, we'll find them in the farmland on the Jebba side." According to a tally shared by Husseini, 151 people were killed, 3,018 were displaced, 265 houses were destroyed and two bridges were washed away in the busy, rural market town. Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, pointed to a house he grew up in, telling reporters Friday: "We lost at least 15 from this house. The property (is) gone. We lost everything." Floods in Nigeria are exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. "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," the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement. Complicating the search for missing persons was the presence of a large group of travellers staying overnight in a Mokwa mosque when the rains hit, Adamu said. The building collapsed and it was still unknown where the people had been travelling from. President Bola Tinubu said the disaster response was being aided by security forces. - Warning sounded - The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. In 2024, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 out of Nigeria's 36 states, making it one of the country's worst flood seasons in decades, according to NEMA. Describing how she escaped the raging waters, Sabuwar Bala, a 50-year-old yam vendor, told reporters: "I was only wearing my underwear, someone loaned me all I'm wearing now. I couldn't even save my flip-flops." "I can't locate where my home stood because of the destruction," she said.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Citizen
Rescuers fan out after Nigeria flooding kills more than 150
Floods in Nigeria are exacerbated by inadequate drainage and the construction of homes on waterways. Picture for illustration. Residents sit in a pirogue as they move between submerged houses in the flooded area of Adankolo in Lokoja on October 21, 2024. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP) Search teams fanned out several kilometres from the epicentre of deadly flash flooding in Nigeria Saturday, the Red Cross said, as the death toll from heavy rains in the north-central market town of Mokwa topped 150. The sharp rise in the toll came as bodies were recovered nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) away from the town, where more than 250 buildings were levelled and two bridges were swept away, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told AFP. Husseini warned the toll could rise further, with bodies being swept down the powerful Niger River. Gideon Adamu, head of the Red Cross in Niger state, told AFP search teams were heading toward Jebba, on the opposite side of the waterway's swampy banks. ALSO READ: Inside Nigeria's new wave of jihadist attacks Mokwa was hit by torrential rains on Wednesday night into Thursday, with the flooding displacing more than 3,000 people, Husseini said. There were 121 injured in the hospital, Adamu said, while more than 100 people were missing. Nigeria's rainy season, which usually lasts six months, is just getting started for the year. Flooding, usually caused by heavy rains and poor infrastructure, wreaks havoc every year, killing hundreds of people across the west African country. Scientists have also warned that climate change is fuelling more extreme weather patterns. 'We can't give up' Roads were still inundated in Mokwa on Friday, an AFP journalist observed, with Husseini saying his team would need excavators to reach bodies feared buried under the rubble. Residents in the town, some 350 kilometres by road from the capital Abuja, were still searching for loved ones. In some cases, families were missing a dozen people. ALSO READ: Court summons of young Nigerian protesters spark uproar Adamu, the Red Cross chief, told AFP 'we can't give up the search as long as there are families crying out'. 'If there were some bodies that were carried away by the flooding, we'll find them in the farmland on the Jebba side.' According to a tally shared by Husseini, 151 people were killed, 3,018 were displaced, 265 houses were destroyed and two bridges were washed away in the busy, rural market town. Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, pointed to a house he grew up in, telling reporters Friday: 'We lost at least 15 from this house. The property (is) gone. We lost everything.' Floods in Nigeria are exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. '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,' the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement. ALSO READ: Nigeria fuel tanker explosion kills almost 100 Complicating the search for missing persons was the presence of a large group of travellers staying overnight in a Mokwa mosque when the rains hit, Adamu said. The building collapsed and it was still unknown where the people had been travelling from. President Bola Tinubu said the disaster response was being aided by security forces. Warning sounded in Nigeria The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. In 2024, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 out of Nigeria's 36 states, making it one of the country's worst flood seasons in decades, according to NEMA. Describing how she escaped the raging waters, Sabuwar Bala, a 50-year-old yam vendor, told reporters: 'I was only wearing my underwear, someone loaned me all I'm wearing now. I couldn't even save my flip-flops.' 'I can't locate where my home stood because of the destruction,' she said. READ NEXT: Fuel tanker explosion in Nigeria kills at least 59, devastates community
