At least 200 killed as floods submerge Nigerian trading hub

ABUJA, Nigeria — The decease toll from devastating flooding in a marketplace municipality successful Nigeria’s north-central authorities of Niger roseate to astatine slightest 200 connected Sunday, a section authoritative said.

Torrents of predawn rainfall aboriginal Thursday unleashed the devastating flood connected Mokwa, astir 236 miles westbound of Abuja and a large trading and proscription hub wherever northern Nigerian farmers merchantability beans, onions and different nutrient to traders from the south.

The lawman president of Mokwa Local Government, Musa Kimboku, confirmed the updated fatality number to The Associated Press connected Sunday. He said rescue operations person been called off, arsenic authorities nary longer judge determination are immoderate survivors.

To forestall the outbreak of disease, officials are presently exhuming bodies buried beneath the rubble, Kimboku added.

On Saturday, the spokesperson for the Niger State exigency service, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, said an further 11 radical were injured and much than 3,000 radical were displaced.

A pistillate sits successful a flooded country aft dense rainfall successful the marketplace municipality of Mokwa, Nigeria, connected Saturday.Usman Salihu Mokwa / AP

At slightest 500 households crossed 3 communities were affected by the abrupt and aggravated flood that built rapidly successful astir 5 hours, leaving roofs hardly disposable and surviving residents waist-deep successful water, trying to salvage what they could and rescue others.

Husseini added that 2 roads were washed distant and 2 bridges collapsed.

In a connection connected Friday night, President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences and said helium had directed the activation of an exigency effect to enactment victims and “accelerate” recovery.

Flooding is communal during Nigeria’s bedewed season. Communities successful bluish Nigeria person been experiencing prolonged adust spells worsened by clime alteration and excessive rainfall that leads to terrible flooding during the little bedewed season. But this flood has been peculiarly deadly successful Mokwa, a farming portion adjacent the banks of the River Niger.

Mokwa assemblage person Aliki Musa said the villagers are not utilized to specified flooding.

The president of the Mokwa section authorities area, Jibril Muregi, told section quality website Premium Times that operation of flood-control works was agelong overdue.