The number of official deaths after deadly floods struck the Nigerian city of Mokwa Thursday increased to more than 200, according to officials.
500 other people are still missing in the city of the central state of Niger, however, the local manager Musa Kimboku told the BBC that rescue efforts had ceased because the authorities no longer believe that anyone could still be found alive.
The floods, supposed to be the worst in the region for 60 years, have swept the Mokwa districts from Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa after torrential rains.
In an effort to prevent diseases in the region, the authorities will soon start to dig up corpses buried underground, said Mokwa district chief Muhammadu Aliyu.
Linking catastrophe scenes, local residents told the BBC that they had seen their homes and their family members meet.
A man, Adamu Yusuf, lost his wife and newborn baby.
“I looked helpless water to take my family by water. I survived because I could swim,” he told the BBC.
Another resident, Saliu Sulaiman, said that the floods had left it without shelter and destroyed some of its cash benefits.
“I lost at least $ 1,500 for the floods. It was the product of the sale of my agricultural products the day before. I planned to return to the room to obtain it, but the water pressure was frightened.”
Some local residents said the flood was so devastating because a nearby dam had broken out, but the authorities did not confirm it.
On Sunday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) announced that it had started the process of providing emergency packages to affected people.
The agency added in an article on Facebook that roads and bridges were also affected by flood, which had a training effect on the local economy and traffic.
On Friday, the Nigerian Red Cross also published a statement claiming that the floods had caused “a loss of life in old and a general distress”.
The floods are not uncommon during the Nigerian rainy season, which lasts from April to October.
In 2024, Nigeria experienced floods of heavy rains that caused death and led people to their home.
There were also serious floods in 2022, when more than 600 people died and 1.3 million were moved.
