Niger Flood Claims Several Lives, Submerges Houses

By Ayodele Oni

Disaster has again been reported in Niger State as unspecified number of people were swept away by flood. Many Houses too submerged.

The incident, happened on Wednesday evening in Mokwa town, headquarters of Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State.

Residents reported that the road linking the northern and southern parts of Nigeria through Mokwa has also been cut off by the flood.

Although details remain sketchy, some residents estimated that as many as 50 people may have died.

Several houses and properties worth millions of naira were submerged. Others said the death toll could exceed 50, as many residents, including women and children, were still missing.

According to report, the flood was triggered by a torrential downpour that lasted for several hours  submerging homes and sweeping away residents in their sleep.

A resident, Mohammed Usman, said several bodies had already been recovered from the water, but many others remain unaccounted for, especially in areas where houses were completely submerged.

The Director of Information and Special Duties at the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Dr. Ibrahim Audu Hussaini, confirmed the incident to Journalists.

He said the Agency was still gathering details about the extent of the disaster and would make his findings known in due course.