Floods kill at least 111 as northern Nigeria battles climate change, dry spells and heavy rainfall

Torrents of predawn rainfall unleashed flooding that killed astatine slightest 111 radical successful a marketplace municipality wherever northern Nigerian farmers merchantability their wares to traders from the south, officials said Friday, predicting the decease toll would grow.

The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency did not instantly accidental however overmuch rainfall fell aft midnight Thursday successful the municipality of Mokwa successful the authorities of Niger much than 180 miles west of Abuja, the superior of Africa’s astir populous nation.

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.

In videos and photos connected societal media, floodwaters covered neighborhoods and homes were submerged, with their roofs hardly disposable supra the brownish colored waters. Waist-deep successful water, residents tried to salvage what they could, oregon rescue others.

“We mislaid galore lives, and the properties, our workplace produce. Those that person their retention person mislaid it,” Kazeem Muhammed, a Mokwa resident, said.

Besides the 111 confirmed dead, “more bodies person conscionable been brought and are yet to beryllium counted,” Niger authorities exigency bureau spokesperson IIbrahim Audu Husseini told The Associated Press by telephone Friday afternoon.

Mokwa, astir 380 kilometers (236 miles) westbound of Abuja, is simply a large gathering constituent wherever traders from the southbound bargain beans, onions and different nutrient from farmers successful the north.

Mokwa assemblage person Aliki Musa told the AP the villagers are not utilized to specified flooding. “The h2o is similar spiritual h2o which utilized to travel but it’s seasonal,” said Musa. “It tin travel present (and) it volition scope different 20 years earlier coming again.”

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.

“This captious infrastructure is indispensable to mitigating aboriginal flood risks and protecting lives and property,” helium said.

In September, torrential rains and a dam collapse successful the northeastern metropolis of Maiduguri caused terrible flooding that near astatine slightest 30 radical dormant and displaced millions, worsening the humanitarian situation caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.