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Saudi Gazette
a day ago
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
More than 700 believed dead in devastating Nigeria floods
MOKWA — The official death toll after deadly floods hit the Nigerian town of Mokwa on Thursday has risen to more than 200, officials say. Another 500 people are still missing in the town in the central Niger State however, local official Musa Kimboku told the BBC that rescue efforts had ceased because authorities no longer believe anyone could still be found alive. The floods, said to be the worst in the area for 60 years, swept through the Mokwa districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa after torrential rains. In an effort to prevent disease in the area, authorities will soon start to dig out corpses buried underground, Mokwa's district head Muhammadu Aliyu said. Recounting scenes of catastrophe, local residents told the BBC that they saw their homes and family members get washed away. One man, Adamu Yusuf, lost his wife and newborn baby. "I watched helplessly as water washed away my family. I survived because I could swim," he told the BBC. Another resident, Saliu Sulaiman, said the floods had left him homeless and destroyed some of his cash business profits. "I lost at least $1,500 to the floods. It was the proceeds from the sale of my farm produce the previous day. I contemplated going back into the room to get it, but the pressure of the water scared me." Some local residents have said that the flooding was so devastating because a nearby dam had burst, however the authorities have not confirmed this. Residents said the pressure of the floodwater was so intense that bodies had been washed up in the town of Rabba, at least an hour's drive from Mokwa. Mokwa's Deputy Vice-Chairman Musa Kimboku said they had told neighbouring villages to bury "any corpse that they find." District head Aliyu said some bodies were unrecoverable because they had gone "through the River Niger". On Sunday, the National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) announced it had started the process of providing relief packages to people affected. The agency added in a post on Facebook that roads and bridges were also affected by the flood, which has had a knock-on effect on the local economy and traffic. The Nigerian Red Cross also released a statement on Friday saying the floods had caused "significant loss of life and widespread distress". Floods are not uncommon during the Nigerian rainy season, which lasts from April until October. In 2024, Nigeria experienced flooding from heavy rain which caused deaths and drove people from their homes. There was also severe flooding in 2022, when more than 600 people died and 1.3 million were displaced. — BBC
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Officials Call Off Rescue Efforts After Devastating Floods
Nigeria experienced its worst flood in 60 years last Thursday, which has left 200 people dead and a further 500 missing and presumed dead, the BBC reported. The floods occurred in the districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa in Mokuwa after heavy rains pelted the region. Water swept in around 3 a.m. local time when most people were asleep, 'resulting in significant loss of life and widespread distress.' Local official Musa Kimboku explained that rescue efforts have since been called off because none of the missing are expected to be still alive. On Sunday, Mokwa district head Muhammadu Aliyu announced that workers would soon begin digging out buried bodies in an effort to prevent the spread of survivor, Adamu Yusuf, lost his wife and newborn child. "I watched helplessly as water washed away my family. I survived because I could swim," he said. Another local, Saliu Sulaiman, was left homeless and lost a good deal of money in the catastrophe. "I lost at least $1,500 to the floods. It was the proceeds from the sale of my farm produce the previous day,' he said. 'I contemplated going back into the room to get it, but the pressure of the water scared me." Several locals have claimed that the flooding was particularly intense because a nearby damn burst, but this hasn't been officially National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria said that, as of May 31, 3,018 residents had been displaced due to flooding. 'I extend my heartfelt condolences to the affected families and the good people of Niger State at this difficult time,' Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a statement posted to X. 'Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay. We will ensure that no Nigerian affected by this disaster is left behind or unheard of. I assure all those impacted that your government stands with you.'Officials Call Off Rescue Efforts After Devastating Floods first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 2, 2025
Nahar Net
2 days ago
- Climate
- Nahar Net
Death toll reaches at least 200 in Nigerian town submerged in floods
by Naharnet Newsdesk 02 June 2025, 17:02 The death toll from devastating flooding in a market town in Nigeria's north-central state of Niger rose to at least 200 on Sunday, a local official said. 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 deputy chairman of Mokwa Local Government, Musa Kimboku, confirmed the updated fatality count to The Associated Press on Sunday. He said rescue operations have been called off, as authorities no longer believe there are any survivors. To prevent the outbreak of disease, officials are currently exhuming bodies buried beneath the rubble, Kimboku added. On Saturday, the spokesperson for the Niger State emergency service, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, said an additional 11 people were injured and more than 3,000 people were displaced. 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. 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 said 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.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Bad smell surround community, as number of deaths pass 200, like 500 dey miss for Niger state flood disaster
Di death toll for di flood disaster wey hit two communities for Mokwa town, Niger state north central Nigeria don increase to more dan 200 on Sunday. Search operation don continue as di residents help to locate around 500 wey still dey miss. Di flood happun on Wednesday night for Mokwa local goment area of di state sake of heavy rainfall wey destroy shops, houses, and farms. Musa Kimboku, di deputy chairman of Mokwa local government tell BBC say di search no longer be rescue effort, as dem believe say dem no fit find anybodi alive days afta di floods happun. E say dem tell nearby villages to bury any dead body wey dem find. Also, Mokwa district head, Muhammadu Aliyu say dem go soon start digging to bring out all di corpses wey dey buried underground to prevent di breakout of any disease. 'I lost 2.5 million and oda items for di flood' One eyewitness tok how di flood bin hit dem for early morning wen dem just pray finish. Saliu wey be 34 years say im mama bin come dey bang im door around 6:00am for morning wen di flood bin dey start. "My mama come dey bang my door. She dey bang am with force, she dey shout say water dey come out make we come outside. I wan pass di main gate but she tok say make I pass di back door. I come outside and flood dey." Saliu say e sell some goods one day bifor di flood bin start and lost about 2.5million becos im no fit go back go pick anytin for im house. "I remember my money becos I sell some goods of about 2.5 million naira but I bin wan go back inside di room but I dey tink di pressure of di water, maybe if I go back inside di room something fit happun I leave everything since di flood don become like dis." "I get 11 bags of groundnut and seven bags of beans. We no fit pick anything, na only me and my singlet comot. We no see anything pick everything don go. Di flood water dey high and e dey come wit high pressure, we dey see deadibodi inside di water wey we no fit count." Saliu say na im friends bin give am di cloth wey im dey wear becos evritin wey im get don go wit di flood. Anoda resident wey dey affected say na nine out of 15 members of im family don die oe dey miss and dem still dey find dia bodi. Di man say dem just wake up dat morning and water don full dia compound and dem no fit escape. E narrate say di water almost cover am as di water dey wash plenti tins away. "We just wake up in di morning around 7:30 to 8:00 am. We just see water for our compound, we no fit escape becos di water dey beyond our capacity. Wen di water flow into our compound we no get any oda alternatives di water dey above our capacity and di flood water reach my chest. "We be 15 pipo but nine pipo don die, we see one deadibodi, we neva see di bodi of di eight pipo. We believe say dem no dey alive again becos since we neva see anybody we leave everything to God," e tok. E say di water don wash away im house and im no see anytin becos di water don flush away im properties. "I dey feel sad becos no be di property but di lives wey I lose, e dey paniful. No be even me any pesin wey love me go feel sad. I wish my family rest in peace and oda pipo wey die. Bad smell for di community Di mood for Mokwa na grief for di dead, confusion for di missing and loss of dia properties. Clothes scata round, mattresses dey soaked wit water and different crushed metal roofing sheets show wia some of di dozens of houses bin dey bifor, for Tiffin Maza Community for Mokwa town, Niger state. BBC reporters find say some of di structures wey still dey stand, dia roofs don wash off and some parts don destroy. Di flood get harsh impact for di community. According to wetin BBC observe for di community, strong bad smell dey around di community and residents believe say dem fit no rescue anyone alive again. Di local govment dey fear say di bad smell, and contamination wey di deadi bodi dey cause for dia water fit lead to diseases wey dem no fit handle. Food trucks stranded, farmers association react Some truck drivers tok say di Mokwa bridge wey collapse don affect dem as dem no fit travel wit di food items wey dey dia vehicle. Mustapha Salaudeen wey follow BBC Pidgin tok explain say na traffic dem dey and e reach Dikko junction wia all di trailers dey stranded. E tell us say na one side of di bridge bin collapse and dem dey find alternative routes wey go help dem move and transport dia goods. "We dey inside traffic becos di flood cut a part of di bridge and we dey find alternative, but we dey move small small as di community pipo dey help us." "As di road cut, our truck just dey here and some get foods wey fit spoil if dem no offload am sharply." Meanwhile, di National Secretary for Tomato Farmers for Nigeria, Sani Danladi, tok say di collapse of Mokwa Bridge go affect foodstuff supply to southern part of Nigeria. E say dis na becos of festival season and di bridge dey among road wey dey link two parts of di kontri. Danladi tok say, "Dis Mokwa bridge for Niger state dey really important. Since na di only bridge wey dey link two parts of di country, e go affect southern part pass, as vegetable price fit go up becos supply no go dey." "Meanwhile, for northern part, price fit reduce sake say di vegetables and oda food stuff go plenty for market since dem no fit carry am go south again," e tok.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
More Than 200 Dead, 500 Missing and Presumed Dead Amid Catastrophic Flooding in Nigeria
Extreme flooding in Mokwa, Nigeria has lead to more than 200 deaths, officials tell the BBC An additional 500 people are still missing and presumed dead as authorities have called off rescue efforts The flooding began at 3 a.m. on May 29 while many residents were sleepingNigeria is suffering a devastating loss amid what is being referred to as the worst flooding in 60 years. According to the BBC, the official death toll is currently at more than 200 people with 500 others still missing. Local official Musa Kimboku told the outlet that rescue efforts have ended because none of the missing are believed to still be alive amidst the devastation. The flooding occurred in the town of Mokwa, heavily impacting the districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa following torrential rains. Mokwa district head Muhammadu Aliyu told the BBC that authorities plan to start digging out corpses buried under the rubble in an effort to prevent disease. Ibrahim Audu Husseini, the spokesperson for the Niger State emergency service, told the Associated Press that in addition to the more than 500 households impacted by the flooding, two roads were washed away and two bridges collapsed. According to the Nigerian Red Cross, the flooding began on May 29 at 3 a.m. when most people were asleep 'resulting in significant loss of life and widespread distress.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Nigeria said in a Facebook post on May 31 that 3,018 individuals have been displaced. NEMA is using water purification equipment to help make potable water for residents in an effort to avoid waterborne illnesses. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu shared a lengthy statement on X on May 30, saying, 'I extend my heartfelt condolences to the affected families and the good people of Niger State at this difficult time.' He also assured citizens that the government would be providing assistance to those affected by the flooding. 'Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay,' Tinubu wrote. 'We will ensure that no Nigerian affected by this disaster is left behind or unheard of. I assure all those impacted that your government stands with you.' Read the original article on People
