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Time of India
5 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Nigeria flooding death toll jumps past 200
Nigeria flooding death toll jumps past 200 (AP) 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. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency said 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 (six miles) 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 Tuesday saying it was "working tirelessly to provide immediate assistance to affected residents".
BBC News
10-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Nigeria goment list states wey go experience heavy rains and floods for 2025
Di federal goment don tok say heavy rains and floods go happun for 30 states and di Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for 2025. Na di minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev give di informate on Thursday during di public presentation of di 2025 Annual Flood Outlook by di Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) for Abuja. Di states include: Lagos, Ogun, Abia, Ondo, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and di Federal Capital Territory. Utsev say some parts of di south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria go experience coastal and riverine flooding sake of rise in sea level. Di states include Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers while Akwa-Ibom and Edo fall under di high-flood risk states. Di 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) bin dey segmented into three parts to address di pressing challenges of flood disasters and provide information for mitigation, especially for di most vulnerable communities According to di minister, flooding remain one of di most devastating natural disasters for Nigeria and climate change dey accelerate im frequency and seriousness. E reveal say 1,249 communities for 176 local goment areas across 30 states and di FCT fall within high-risk flood zones dis year, while additional 2,187 communities for 293 local goment areas face moderate flood risks. Key risk areas include Abia, Benue, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Jigawa, among odas. To improve early warning and response systems, dis year AFO introduce a community-based flood forecasting approach. Instead of just general predictions, dem now tailor forecasts to specific communities to enhance actionable communication and preparation for grassroots level. For im own remark, di Permanent Secretary of di Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Richard Pheelangwah, urge stakeholders to priorise early response. "Dis outlook no be just about numbers, na about protecting lives and livelihoods," e tok. Di Director General of NIHSA, Umar Mohammed, tok say dis year flood forecast go beyond mapping local goment areas and now identify specific communities at risk. "Our focus don dey expanded to assess sectoral impacts on health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure, offering more robust tools to policymakers and disaster risk managers," e tok.
