Latest news with #Niger
The Independent
11 hours 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.
RNZ News
12 hours ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Flood death toll rises to 117 in Nigeria's Niger state, emergency official says
By Ahmed Kingimi , Reuters People walk along the East-West highway severed by flooding in Niger, Nigeria, in 2022. Photo: PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP At least 117 people have died and several others are still missing after heavy flooding destroyed thousands of homes in Nigeria's Niger state, an emergency official said. The death toll is a sharp rise from Thursday's figure of 21 people, Ibrahim Hussaini, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, said, adding that some 3000 houses were submerged in two communities in the north-central state. Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April. In 2022, Nigeria experienced its worst wave of floods in more than a decade which killed more than 600 people, displaced around 1.4 million and destroyed 440,000 hectares of farmland. The flooding incident in Niger state occurred on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning, Hussaini said, with a number of people still in the water. - Reuters
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
At least 115 die in Nigeria floods as rescue efforts continue
More than 100 people have died and several others remain missing after a torrential downpour in the central Nigerian state of Niger, local authorities said on Friday. Floods submerged the town of Mokwa after the rains began on Wednesday night and continued till Thursday morning. Ibrahim Audu Hussein, spokesperson for the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said rescue efforts were still under way on Friday. '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,' Husseini told the AFP news agency. 'So, the toll keeps rising'. More than 3,000 houses have also been submerged, he added. Mokwa, a commercial town 376 kilometres (233 miles) west of Nigeria's capital Abuja, is a known commercial hub in the state with many traders and heavy duty vehicles often carrying goods to other regions in the country. In Nigeria, the rainy season usually runs from April to October. In a forecast issued on Wednesday by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, heavy storms were predicted for Abuja and 14 of the country's 36 states including Niger. Niger, Nigeria's largest state by landmass, is home to three of the country's major dams – Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro – which contribute significantly to the country's electricity grid. A fourth dam is under construction. The state has been prone to flooding in recent times; in April, water released from one of the dams destroyed more than 5,000 farms in 30 communities including in Mokwa. Local news reports suggested that it was the sixth time a flood had happened in the state this year. In 2022, Nigeria experienced floods which killed more than 600 people, displaced about 1.4 million and destroyed 440,000 hectares of farmland. Experts have warned of more extreme climate weather patterns due to continued global heating. Last year, the collapse of a dam 20 kilometres (12 miles) outside the north-eastern town of Maiduguri killed at least 30 people, displaced thousands of people and led to crocodiles and snakes being washed away from the city zoo into its environs. Nigerian authorities said it was part of the country's worst flooding in decades, as 1200 people in all died across 21 states.
CBS News
16 hours 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
16 hours 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.
