At least 3,018 people have been evacuated and 265 homes have been destroyed by floods in central Nigeria.
Local governments have said more than 150 people have been killed and thousands have been evacuated after floods devastated parts of Central Nigeria as rescuers continue to retrieve bodies and search for missing people.
The floods hit the country town of Mokuwa in Niger province after heavy rain that began on Wednesday and continued into Thursday.
Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) spokesman Ibrahim Oud Hussenyi on Saturday said the death toll rose to 151 after being recovered from around 10 km (6 miles) from Mokwa.
At least 3,018 people have been evacuated, but 265 homes have been “completely destroyed” by the flood, he said, adding that many victims are believed to have swept the Niger River, warning that tolls could still rise.
President Bora Tinubu exaggerated his sadness and said search and rescue operations are ongoing with the support of Nigerian security forces.
“Relief materials and temporary shelter support are unfolding without delay,” he wrote in a social media post.
“We lost everything. Family. “We lost at least 15 from this house.”
Another survivor said: “I ran away with just my night dress. Now I can’t even pinpoint where our house was.”
More rain was scared
Meteorologists warn that more rain will be expected in the coming days, causing further flooding fears throughout the region.
Floods are a regular threat during Nigeria’s six-month rainy season, but experts say the frequency and severity of these disasters is increasing due to climate change, unregulated construction and poor drainage infrastructure.
“The floods have become an annual event between April and October,” Ugona Nukuunonwo, flood risk analyst at the University of Nigeria, told Al Jazeera.
He warned that flood risks have been identified for a long time, but “there is not much political force to implement this change.”
“This flood is a result of climate change and affects the frequency and intensity of rainfall,” he said. “The amount of rain you expect in a year could probably come in a month or two, and people aren’t prepared for that kind of rain.”
Over 1,200 people were killed last year, and up to 2 million people were evacuated due to similar disasters across Nigeria.
“This tragic incident serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with the construction of waterways and the critical importance of keeping drainage channels and river paths clear,” the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.
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