Nearly 200 dead, over 1,000 missing in central Nigeria floods

Abuja, June 3 (IANS) With close to 200 confirmed fatalities, authorities in Nigeria's north-central Niger State are still searching for more than 1,000 people believed to have been swept away by devastating floods triggered by heavy rains over the past week.

The torrential downpours on Wednesday night wreaked havoc across Mokwa, a bustling market and farming town in Niger, submerging and washing away dozens of residential homes, some with occupants still inside, local officials said earlier.

Yakubu Garba, Deputy Governor of Niger, told reporters late Monday that nearly a week after the disaster, hundreds remained unaccounted for despite ongoing rescue efforts.

"For now, we do not know where they are. Those people have been swept away by water. We have reviewed house-to-house and based on that, the number of people yet to be seen is more than 1,000," Garba said, adding that the flooding has displaced over 3,000 residents, affected at least 2,000 properties, washed away roads, and caused the collapse of three bridges.

One of the most urgent challenges, Garba noted, is the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the missing, whose families are desperately searching for them.

Ibrahim Hussaini, spokesperson for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, told Xinhua over the weekend that over 503 households were impacted. The search for more bodies is ongoing, with local divers and volunteers assisting in the operation.

Some residents believe the flooding may have been worsened by the release of water from a nearby dam, though officials have yet to confirm this.

"The situation is very tragic, with many families wiped out and survivors recounting harrowing losses," Amina Yahaya, a resident from a neighbouring town, told Xinhua.

Flooding in central Nigeria, including the Mokwa disaster, is the result of a complex mix of factors. The country regularly faces severe floods during the rainy season, which typically lasts six months, beginning in March and intensifying by mid-May, especially in the northern regions.

Local experts said climate change has led to increasingly erratic and intense rainfall patterns, overwhelming existing drainage systems and the natural capacity of the land to absorb water in many areas of Africa's most populous country, Xinhua news agency reported.

Last Tuesday, the National Emergency Management Agency said it had ramped up efforts to mitigate the impact of seasonal flooding, urging all levels of government to invest in drainage infrastructure, dams, and flood-resilient facilities in flood-prone regions.

--IANS

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