Latest News

Nearly 100 people are missing after flooding in a Nigerian town for a week

The national emergency agency announced on Wednesday that at least 98 persons are still unaccounted for, in addition to the 160 people who have been confirmed dead, a week following floods in a central Nigerian town. Hopes of finding survivors are fading.

In one of the worst floods ever to strike Africa's largest country, heavy rainfall in Mokwa, 270 km west of Abuja, unleashed water that destroyed homes and overwhelmed drainage systems.

Damage to roads and bridges is hampering access despite the fact that search and rescue operations are continuing, according to the National Emergency Management Authority. The NEMA has also enlisted assistance from the Nigeria Red Cross and the police, as well as the army.

Teams are searching for missing people. Overcrowding, contaminated water and overcrowding are all factors that increase the risk of disease outbreaks.

Habiba Abdallah, a resident of 27 years, told reporters that four of her children were washed out by the floods. She said that, like many other relatives, she still hoped that the bodies will be found.

My children disappeared in an instant. "We haven't even found them yet, but are still trying to recover their remains," she said by phone.

The United Nations Children's Fund said that it has deployed a team in Nigeria to provide essential health services, including for pregnant women.

Floods are common in Nigeria during the rainy seasons, which usually begin in April and end in October. (Written by MacDonald Dzirutwe, edited by Aidan Lewis).

(source: Reuters)