Latest news with #HusseiniIsah
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
More than 100 killed in heavy Nigeria flooding, rescue efforts ongoing
At least 115 people have been killed after heavy flooding submerged the market town of Mokwa in Nigeria's northcentral Niger State, destroying thousands of homes, according to an emergency services official, in a country beset by deadly storms every year. Head of the operations office in Minna, capital of Niger State, Husseini Isah, said on Friday that many people were still in peril as rescue efforts continue. 'We have so far recovered 115 bodies and more are expected to be recovered because the flood came from far distance and washed people into the River Niger. Downstream, bodies are still being recovered,' a Niger State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) spokesman, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, told the AFP news agency. 'So, the toll keeps rising.' Torrential rains battered Mokwa late on Wednesday and lasted for several hours, washing away dozens of homes, with many residents still missing. A dam collapse in a nearby town caused the situation to rapidly deteriorate. It is difficult to say how well-placed rescue efforts are to salvage people 'because every rainy season we continue to see things like this,' said Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris, reporting from Abuja. 'Warnings have been put out by authorities for people exposed or communities living along river banks to move to higher ground, especially when the rains start to peak, but every year we continue to see more and more lives and property damaged because of rainfall,' said Idris. 'In certain areas, proper drainage isn't there … and most of these disasters take officials of emergency management agencies in various states by surprise even though there has been consistent flooding over the past three years,' said Idris. As a result, 'a lot of people don't believe it will be any different' this time around. Mokwa is a key meeting and transit point for traders from the south and food growers in the north of the country. In the town, Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, told reporters that he lost at least 15 people from the house he grew up in. 'The property [is] gone. We lost everything,' Tanko said. For fisherman Danjuma Shaba, 35, the floods destroyed his house, forcing him to sleep in a car park. 'I don't have a house to sleep in. My house has already collapsed,' Shaba told the AFP news agency. As Nigeria's rainy season begins, typically lasting for six months, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency has warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger State, between Wednesday and Friday. The most concerning thing about these floods is 'this isn't even the peak of the rainy season,' said Idris. 'In some states, the rains have only been there for a month and yet we're seeing this.' However, scientists have warned that the effects of climate change are already being felt, as extreme weather patterns are becoming more frequent. The heavy rainfall causes problems for Nigeria every year as it destroys infrastructure and is further exacerbated by inadequate drainage. In September 2024, torrential rains and a dam collapse in the northeastern Maiduguri city caused severe flooding, killing at least 30 people and displacing millions. Last year, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 out of 36 states, in one of the country's worst floods in decades, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Climate
- Times of Oman
Nigeria: Death toll from major floods passes 100
Abuja: The death toll from widespread floods in central Nigeria rose to at least 111 people on Friday. After torrential rains earlier in the week, flood waters have swept away more than 50 homes in the market town of Mokwa in the central Niger state. Ibrahim Audu Husseini, spokesperson for the Niger State emergency agency told the Associated Press that "more bodies have just been brought and are yet to be counted, but we have at least 111 confirmed already." Earlier in the day, Husseini, told AFP he "expected the toll to rise considerably because there are different rescuers at different locations." The head of the operations office in the Niger state capital Minna, Husseini Isah, said rescue efforts were still ongoing on Friday. Mokwa is a key local hub for traders from the south of the country and farmers from the north. It is located around 220 kilometres (140 miles) west of the capital Abuja. The flooding was triggered by several hours of heavy rain, with the collapse of a nearby damn exacerbating the situation. Nigeria's Meteorological Agency warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger State, between Wednesday and Friday. Nigeria's rainy season has only just started and normally lasts around six months. The annual occurrence regularly kills hundreds of people. A lack of drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels all make the flooding worse. Nigeria suffered one of its worst disasters in decades in 2024, with flooding killing more than 1,200 people and displacing another 1.2 million. The flooding, which impacted 31 of the country's 36 states, also destroyed more than 1.4 million hectares (3.5 million acres) of farmland.
DW
3 days ago
- Climate
- DW
Nigeria: Death toll from major floods passes 100 – DW – 05/30/2025
Torrential rains in central Nigeria on Wednesday triggered flooding and widespread damage. Rescuers say the death toll has surpassed 100 people. The death toll from widespread floods in central Nigeria rose to at least 111 people on Friday. After torrential rains earlier in the week, flood waters have swept away more than 50 homes in the market town of Mokwa in the central Niger state. Ibrahim Audu Husseini, spokesperson for the Niger state emergency management agency (SEMA) told the Associated Press that "More bodies have just been brought and are yet to be counted, but we have at least 111 confirmed already." The head of the operations office in the Niger state capital Minna, Husseini Isah, said rescue efforts were still ongoing on Friday, but many people were still at risk. "The number keeps rising," he told the Associated Press. Earlier in the day, Husseini, told AFP he "expected the toll to rise considerably because there are different rescuers at different locations." Why is flooding so dangerous in Nigeria? Mokwa is a key local hub for traders from the south of the country and farmers from the north. It is located around 220 kilometers (140 miles) west of the capital Abuja. The flooding was triggered by several hours of heavy rain, with the collapse of a nearby damn exacerbating the situation. Nigeria's Meteorological Agency warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger State, between Wednesday and Friday. Nigeria's rainy season has only just started and normally lasts around six months. The annual occurrence regularly kills hundreds of people. A lack of drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels all make the flooding worse. Flood awareness and alleviation in Nigeria To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Nigeria suffered one of its worst disasters in decades in 2024, with flooding killing more than 1,200 people and displacing another 1.2 million. The flooding, which impacted 31 of the country's 36 states, also destroyed more than 1.4 million hectares (3.5 million acres) of farmland. Edited by: Wesley Dockery, Zac Crellin
CBS News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Floods submerge town in Nigeria, killing at least 88 people: "The number keeps rising"
At least 88 people have been confirmed dead after floods submerged Mokwa, a market town in Nigeria's Niger State, on Thursday, an official said. Husseini Isah, head of the operations office in Minna, capital of Niger State, said that many more are still at risk, with rescue efforts underway on Friday. Earlier reports said at least 20 died. "The number keeps rising," Isah told The Associated Press. "But at the last count, 88 bodies have been recovered." The floods were triggered by torrential rains that lasted several hours. According to local reports quoting residents and local government officials, a dam collapse in a nearby town worsened the situation. Mokwa is a major meeting point for traders from the south and food growers in the north of the country. Dozens of people have been confirmed dead after floods submerged Mokwa, a market town in Nigeria's Niger State, on Thursday, an official said. AFP In a similar occurrence last September, torrential rains and a dam collapse in Nigeria's northeastern Maiduguri caused severe flooding, leaving at least 30 people dead and displacing millions, worsening the humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency. Nigeria often faces seasonal floods, particularly impacting communities along the banks of the Niger and Benue Rivers. In 2022, more than 600 people died and over 82,000 houses were destroyed by flooding in Nigeria.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
At least 88 people dead in Nigeria after floods submerge market town
At least 88 people have been confirmed dead after floods submerged Mokwa, a market town in Nigeria's Niger State, on Thursday, an official said. Advertisement Husseini Isah, head of the operations office in Minna, capital of Niger State, said that many more are still at risk, with rescue efforts underway on Friday. Earlier reports said at least 20 died. 'The number keeps rising,' Isah told The Associated Press. 'But at the last count, 88 bodies have been recovered.' The floods were triggered by torrential rains that lasted several hours. According to local reports quoting residents and local government officials, a dam collapse in a nearby town worsened the situation. Floods submerged Mokwa, a major meeting point for traders from the south and food growers in the north of Nigeria. Photo: X/theowoyinka Mokwa is a major meeting point for traders from the south and food growers in the north of the country.
