Latest news with #JibrilMuregi
Sky News
2 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News
Nigeria floods: At least 110 dead as heavy flooding submerges thousands of houses
At least 111 people have died and others are still missing after heavy flooding in Nigeria, an emergency official said. Authorities initially said 21 people had died but this figure has today risen significantly. Media reports quoting local government officials said a dam collapse has worsened the situation. Ibrahim Hussaini, head of Niger State Emergency Management Agency, said some 3,000 houses were underwater in two communities. Videos posted on social media show floodwater sweeping through neighbourhoods, with rooftops barely visible above the brown currents. One clip shows a tanker floating through a town. The chairman of the Mokwa local government area suggested poor infrastructure has worsened the impact of the flooding. Jibril Muregi has appealed to the government to start "long overdue" construction of waterways in the area under a climate resilience project. 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. Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April - and flooding is becoming more common and extreme as the climate warms. Hotter air is thirstier and can hold more moisture - about 7% more for every 1C warmer - meaning it unleashes heavier flooding when it rains. Violent rain, which killed hundreds of people in Nigeria during 2022, was made at least 80 times more likely and 20% more intense by climate change, analysis by World Weather Attribution found.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Floods kill at least 111 as northern Nigeria battles climate change, dry spells and heavy rainfall
Torrents of predawn rain unleashed flooding that drowned at least 111 people in a market town where northern Nigerian farmers sell their wares to traders from the south, officials said Friday as they predicted that the death toll would grow. The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency did not immediately say how much rain fell after midnight Thursday in the town of Mokwa, which sits in the state of Niger more than 180 miles (300 kilometers) west of Abuja, capital of Africa 's most populous nation. 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. In videos and photos on social media, floodwaters covered neighborhoods and homes were submerged, with their roofs barely visible above the brown currents. Waist-deep in water, residents tried to salvage what they could, or rescue others. Besides the 111 confirmed dead, 'more bodies have just been brought and are yet to be counted,' Niger State emergency agency spokesman IIbrahim Audu Husseini told The Associated Press by telephone on Friday afternoon. Mokwa, nearly 380 kilometers (236 miles) west of Abuja, is a major meeting point where traders from the south buy food from farmers in the north. 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. 'This critical infrastructure is essential to mitigating future flood risks and protecting lives and property,' he said. In September, torrential rains and a dam collapse in the northeastern city of Maiduguri caused severe flooding that left at least 30 people dead and displaced millions, worsening the humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Sky News
3 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News
Nigeria floods: At least 117 dead as heavy flooding submerges thousands of houses
At least 117 people have died and others are still missing after heavy flooding in Nigeria, an emergency official said. Authorities initially said 21 people had died but this figure has today risen significantly. Media reports quoting local government officials said a dam collapse has worsened the situation. Ibrahim Hussaini, head of Niger State Emergency Management Agency, said some 3,000 houses were underwater in two communities. Videos posted on social media show floodwater sweeping through neighbourhoods, with rooftops barely visible above the brown currents. One clip shows a tanker floating through a town. The chairman of the Mokwa local government area suggested poor infrastructure has worsened the impact of the flooding. Jibril Muregi has appealed to the government to start "long overdue" construction of waterways in the area under a climate resilience project. 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. Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April - and flooding is becoming more common and extreme as the climate warms. Hotter air is thirstier and can hold more moisture - about 7% more for every 1C warmer - meaning it unleashes heavier flooding when it rains. Violent rain, which killed hundreds of people in Nigeria during 2022, was made at least 80 times more likely and 20% more intense by climate change, analysis by World Weather Attribution found.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
At least 111 people dead in Nigerian floods
At least 111 people are confirmed dead in central Nigeria after floods submerged the market town of Mokwa, with officials warning that the death toll is expected to rise even further. The heavy rains lasted for several hours on Thursday, and media reports quoting local government officials said a dam collapse in a nearby town had worsened the situation. The flooding displaced large numbers of people, the reports said. Rescuers continued to find more bodies into the afternoon on Friday. That brought the toll to 111, but that could go higher as the search continued. "More bodies have just been brought and are yet to be counted, but we have at least 111 confirmed already," Husseini told AP by telephone. Mokwa, about 220 kilometres west of the capital Abuja, is a major meeting point where traders from the south buy food from growers in the north. 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. The violent Islamist insurgency has terrorised villagers across northeast Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Nigeria often faces seasonal floods, particularly impacting communities such as Mokwa along the banks of the Niger and Benue Rivers. Communities in the far north of the country, which experience prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change, also see excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during their brief wet season. The chairman of Mokwa local government area, Jibril Muregi, suggested that poor infrastructure worsened the impact of the flood. He appealed to the government to start "long overdue" construction of waterways in Mokwa under a climate resilience project. At least 111 people are confirmed dead in central Nigeria after floods submerged the market town of Mokwa, with officials warning that the death toll is expected to rise even further. The heavy rains lasted for several hours on Thursday, and media reports quoting local government officials said a dam collapse in a nearby town had worsened the situation. The flooding displaced large numbers of people, the reports said. Rescuers continued to find more bodies into the afternoon on Friday. That brought the toll to 111, but that could go higher as the search continued. "More bodies have just been brought and are yet to be counted, but we have at least 111 confirmed already," Husseini told AP by telephone. Mokwa, about 220 kilometres west of the capital Abuja, is a major meeting point where traders from the south buy food from growers in the north. 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. The violent Islamist insurgency has terrorised villagers across northeast Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Nigeria often faces seasonal floods, particularly impacting communities such as Mokwa along the banks of the Niger and Benue Rivers. Communities in the far north of the country, which experience prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change, also see excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during their brief wet season. The chairman of Mokwa local government area, Jibril Muregi, suggested that poor infrastructure worsened the impact of the flood. He appealed to the government to start "long overdue" construction of waterways in Mokwa under a climate resilience project. At least 111 people are confirmed dead in central Nigeria after floods submerged the market town of Mokwa, with officials warning that the death toll is expected to rise even further. The heavy rains lasted for several hours on Thursday, and media reports quoting local government officials said a dam collapse in a nearby town had worsened the situation. The flooding displaced large numbers of people, the reports said. Rescuers continued to find more bodies into the afternoon on Friday. That brought the toll to 111, but that could go higher as the search continued. "More bodies have just been brought and are yet to be counted, but we have at least 111 confirmed already," Husseini told AP by telephone. Mokwa, about 220 kilometres west of the capital Abuja, is a major meeting point where traders from the south buy food from growers in the north. 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. The violent Islamist insurgency has terrorised villagers across northeast Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Nigeria often faces seasonal floods, particularly impacting communities such as Mokwa along the banks of the Niger and Benue Rivers. Communities in the far north of the country, which experience prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change, also see excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during their brief wet season. The chairman of Mokwa local government area, Jibril Muregi, suggested that poor infrastructure worsened the impact of the flood. He appealed to the government to start "long overdue" construction of waterways in Mokwa under a climate resilience project. At least 111 people are confirmed dead in central Nigeria after floods submerged the market town of Mokwa, with officials warning that the death toll is expected to rise even further. The heavy rains lasted for several hours on Thursday, and media reports quoting local government officials said a dam collapse in a nearby town had worsened the situation. The flooding displaced large numbers of people, the reports said. Rescuers continued to find more bodies into the afternoon on Friday. That brought the toll to 111, but that could go higher as the search continued. "More bodies have just been brought and are yet to be counted, but we have at least 111 confirmed already," Husseini told AP by telephone. Mokwa, about 220 kilometres west of the capital Abuja, is a major meeting point where traders from the south buy food from growers in the north. 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. The violent Islamist insurgency has terrorised villagers across northeast Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Nigeria often faces seasonal floods, particularly impacting communities such as Mokwa along the banks of the Niger and Benue Rivers. Communities in the far north of the country, which experience prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change, also see excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during their brief wet season. The chairman of Mokwa local government area, Jibril Muregi, suggested that poor infrastructure worsened the impact of the flood. He appealed to the government to start "long overdue" construction of waterways in Mokwa under a climate resilience project.
