Latest news with #NigerStateEmergencyManagementAgency
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Nigeria flash floods: Which is most affected area, what caused the deluge?
Flash floods triggered by heavy rains have devastated a central Nigerian state, killing at least 150 people and displacing thousands since Thursday, and rescue workers say the toll could rise. Search and rescue operations are ongoing as roads have been damaged and homes destroyed while bodies are believed to have been swept down the Niger River. Here is what to know about the floods and how prone Nigeria is to such events. Flash floods hit Mokwa, a market town located in Nigeria's north-central Niger State. It followed intense rainfall that began about 3am (02:00 GMT) on Thursday, according to the Nigerian Red Cross Society. Mokwa is a key meeting and transit point for traders from the south and food growers in the north. It is about 350km (217 miles) by road east of Nigeria's capital, Abuja. Mokwa has an estimated population of 400,000 while Niger is the country's fourth largest state by size, covering more area than Belgium or Switzerland. More than 150 people have been confirmed killed while rescue teams continue to recover bodies and search for missing people. The actual death toll is likely higher as many victims are believed to have been swept down the Niger River, Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris said, reporting from Mokwa. 'The usual thing is when an official tells you 151 are dead or missing, you are likely to multiply that by two, three or four,' he said. At least 3,018 people have been displaced, 265 houses destroyed and two bridges washed away in the floods, according to Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency. Of those injured, 121 were in hospital, and more than 100 people were missing, Gideon Adamu, head of the Red Cross in Niger State, told the AFP news agency on Saturday. 'We can't give up the search as long as there are families crying out,' Adamu said. Farida Auwalu, the lone survivor from a family of 16, lost seven children in the deluge. The bodies of four of Farida's children have been found and buried. 'My hope is to see the remaining bodies and give them a decent burial and have closure,' she told Al Jazeera. Experts said the frequency and severity of floods in Nigeria have increased due to climate change, unregulated construction and poor drainage infrastructure. Mokwa residents also believe the flooding was caused by 'a bigger problem upstream, maybe a dam burst, but up to now, officials are not confirming that', Idris said. Niger State has three major dams – Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro – while a fourth is under construction. Despite flood risks being identified, there has been a lack of political will to implement the solutions for them, according to Ugonna Nkwunonwo, a flood risk analyst at the University of Nigeria. 'The amount of rain you expect in a year could probably come in one or two months, and people are not prepared for that kind of rainfall,' he told Al Jazeera. Many areas in the country lack proper drainage systems, and existing ones are often clogged with waste, causing water to accumulate on the streets during heavy rains. Additionally, rapid urban development without proper planning has led to the construction of buildings in flood-prone areas, reducing the land's natural ability to absorb water. Deforestation for agriculture and development further reduces the land's capacity to soak up rainfall, increasing the flow of water over the land. Local leaders and residents are calling for state and federal authorities to intervene with long-term support and infrastructure to rebuild their communities and protect them from flooding. '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,' Idris services – including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, the Nigerian Red Cross and local volunteers – are engaged in search and rescue operations. President Bola Tinubu has also ordered an emergency response, including the provision of aid and temporary shelter. 'Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing, and all relevant federal agencies have been mobilised to support the state government's efforts,' Tinubu wrote in a social media post on Saturday. However, damaged roads and bridges have complicated rescue and recovery efforts. Some flood survivors are struggling to get basic aid. 'No one brought any money or food to help the victims. As you can see, many don't have a place to sleep,' Hassan Umar told Al Jazeera in Mokwa. A key bridge that connects the northern and southwestern parts of the country collapsed, leaving motorists stranded and disrupting movement of vehicles across the region. In September, severe flooding in the northwestern city of Maiduguri in Borno State submerged two-thirds of the city, killed at least 30 people and displaced nearly half a million. More than 200 inmates also escaped from a flood-damaged prison. The disaster was triggered by weeks of intense rainfall and the collapse of the Alau dam in northeastern Nigeria. Across the country in 2024, flooding killed more than 1,200 people and displaced 1.2 million in at least 31 of 36 states, according to NEMA. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger, from Wednesday to Friday. In the south, low-lying states like Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta in the Niger Delta region experience frequent flooding due to their coastal locations. In the north, Kogi, Benue and Borno states are also prone to floods because they are on major rivers. The country's rainy season typically begins in April to mid-May and lasts through October while August is the wettest month. Heavy rainfall during this period causes problems every year because it destroys infrastructure and is exacerbated by inadequate drainage. Although flooding is common during Nigeria's rainy season, now is not the peak of the rains, Idris said. 'In some states, the rains have only been there for a month, and yet we're seeing this.'
AsiaOne
a day ago
- Climate
- AsiaOne
Death toll in Nigeria floods rises to 151, World News
Flooding in Nigeria's Niger State this week has killed 151 people and forced several thousand from their homes, an emergency official told Reuters on Saturday (May 31). Ibrahim Audu Hussaini, director of information at the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, provided the new death toll, which was previously reported at 117 on Friday. He added that over 500 households had been impacted and more than 3,000 people displaced. The flooding incident in the central town of Mokwa in Niger State occurred on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning. Days later, rescuers were still picking through mud and debris in search of bodies. Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April. In 2022, the country's worst wave of floods in more than a decade killed more than 600 people, displaced around 1.4 million and destroyed 440,000 hectares (1.09 million acres) of farmland. ALSO READ: Nearly 300 prisoners escape Nigerian prison after floods
Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Climate
- Eyewitness News
Rescuers fan out after Nigeria flooding kills more than 150
ABUJA, Nigeria - Search teams fanned out several kilometres from the epicentre of deadly flash flooding in Nigeria Saturday, the Red Cross said, as the death toll from heavy rains in the north-central market town of Mokwa topped 150. The sharp rise in the toll came as bodies were recovered nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) away from the town, where more than 250 buildings were levelled and two bridges were swept away, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told AFP. Husseini warned the toll could rise further, with bodies being swept down the powerful Niger River. Gideon Adamu, head of the Red Cross in Niger state, told AFP search teams were heading toward Jebba, on the opposite side of the waterway's swampy banks. Mokwa was hit by torrential rains Wednesday night into Thursday, with the flooding displacing more than 3,000, Husseini said. There were 121 injured in hospital, Adamu said, while more than 100 people were missing. Nigeria's rainy season, which usually lasts six months, is just getting started for the year. Flooding, usually caused by heavy rains and poor infrastructure, wreaks havoc every year, killing hundreds of people across the west African country. Scientists have also warned that climate change is fuelling more extreme weather patterns. 'We can't give up' Roads were still inundated in Mokwa on Friday, an AFP journalist observed, with Husseini saying his team would need excavators to reach bodies feared buried under the rubble. Residents in the town, some 350 kilometres by road from the capital Abuja, were still searching for loved ones. In some cases, families were missing a dozen people. Adamu, the Red Cross chief, told AFP "we can't give up the search as long as there are families crying out". "If there were some bodies that were carried away by the flooding, we'll find them in the farmland on the Jebba side." According to a tally shared by Husseini, 151 people were killed, 3,018 were displaced, 265 houses were destroyed and two bridges were washed away in the busy, rural market town. Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, pointed to a house he grew up in, telling reporters Friday: "We lost at least 15 from this house. The property (is) gone. We lost everything." Floods in Nigeria are exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. "This tragic incident serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with building on waterways and the critical importance of keeping drainage channels and river paths clear," the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement. Complicating the search for missing persons was the presence of a large group of travellers staying overnight in a Mokwa mosque when the rains hit, Adamu said. The building collapsed and it was still unknown where the people had been travelling from. President Bola Tinubu said the disaster response was being aided by security forces. Warning sounded The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. In 2024, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 out of Nigeria's 36 states, making it one of the country's worst flood seasons in decades, according to NEMA. Describing how she escaped the raging waters, Sabuwar Bala, a 50-year-old yam vendor, told reporters: "I was only wearing my underwear, someone loaned me all I'm wearing now. I couldn't even save my flip-flops." "I can't locate where my home stood because of the destruction," she said.
France 24
2 days ago
- Climate
- France 24
Rescuers fan out after Nigeria flooding kills more than 150
The sharp rise in the toll came as bodies were recovered nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) away from the town, where more than 250 buildings were levelled and two bridges were swept away, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told AFP. Husseini warned the toll could rise further, with bodies being swept down the powerful Niger River. Gideon Adamu, head of the Red Cross in Niger state, told AFP search teams were heading toward Jebba, on the opposite side of the waterway's swampy banks. Mokwa was hit by torrential rains Wednesday night into Thursday, with the flooding displacing more than 3,000, Husseini said. There were 121 injured in hospital, Adamu said, while more than 100 people were missing. Nigeria's rainy season, which usually lasts six months, is just getting started for the year. Flooding, usually caused by heavy rains and poor infrastructure, wreaks havoc every year, killing hundreds of people across the west African country. Scientists have also warned that climate change is fuelling more extreme weather patterns. 'We can't give up' Roads were still inundated in Mokwa on Friday, an AFP journalist observed, with Husseini saying his team would need excavators to reach bodies feared buried under the rubble. Residents in the town, some 350 kilometres by road from the capital Abuja, were still searching for loved ones. In some cases, families were missing a dozen people. Adamu, the Red Cross chief, told AFP "we can't give up the search as long as there are families crying out". "If there were some bodies that were carried away by the flooding, we'll find them in the farmland on the Jebba side." According to a tally shared by Husseini, 151 people were killed, 3,018 were displaced, 265 houses were destroyed and two bridges were washed away in the busy, rural market town. Mohammed Tanko, 29, a civil servant, pointed to a house he grew up in, telling reporters Friday: "We lost at least 15 from this house. The property (is) gone. We lost everything." Floods in Nigeria are exacerbated by inadequate drainage, the construction of homes on waterways and the dumping of waste in drains and water channels. "This tragic incident serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with building on waterways and the critical importance of keeping drainage channels and river paths clear," the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement. Complicating the search for missing persons was the presence of a large group of travellers staying overnight in a Mokwa mosque when the rains hit, Adamu said. The building collapsed and it was still unknown where the people had been travelling from. President Bola Tinubu said the disaster response was being aided by security forces. - Warning sounded - The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had warned of possible flash floods in 15 of Nigeria's 36 states, including Niger state, between Wednesday and Friday. In 2024, more than 1,200 people were killed and 1.2 million displaced in at least 31 out of Nigeria's 36 states, making it one of the country's worst flood seasons in decades, according to NEMA. Describing how she escaped the raging waters, Sabuwar Bala, a 50-year-old yam vendor, told reporters: "I was only wearing my underwear, someone loaned me all I'm wearing now. I couldn't even save my flip-flops." "I can't locate where my home stood because of the destruction," she said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Death toll from Nigeria flash floods rises to 151
At least 151 people in central Nigeria are now known to have died following flash floods that destroyed homes and displaced thousands of residents earlier this week. The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (Nsema) confirmed to the BBC the death toll had risen sharply from 115, after floods hit the town of Mokwa. A Nsema spokesman told the BBC more than 500 households with a population in excess of 3,000 people were affected. Some families are said to have lost between two and five relatives including children. The agency warned the death toll could rise further after people were washed into the River Niger below the town. Local authorities said 11 people had been rescued and taken to hospitals for treatment. Nsema said the Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa districts of Mokwa were worst affected. Mokwa's district head Muhammad Shaba Aliyu said it has been 60 years since the community had suffered this kind of flooding. "I beg the government to support us," Mr Aliyu said. But the officials appear to be overwhelmed by the scale of destruction as families desperately seek food and shelter. Mokwa is located at the edge of the River Niger, a transit point between the northern and southern part of Nigeria. A bridge linking the northern and south-western parts of the country has collapsed in the floods and left motorists stranded. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu directed "all relevant emergency and security agencies to intensify ongoing search and rescue operations". Torrential rain fell in the region on late Wednesday into Thursday, causing flash floods. Nigeria's rainy season is just beginning and usually lasts from April to October. Authorities have warned of heavy downpours in at least 15 of the country's 36 states. Floods kill at least 110 people after heavy rain in Nigeria Could Nigeria's careful ethnic balancing act be under threat?
