More than 200 people have died and 500 remain missing after severe floods swept through Mokwa in Nigeria’s central Niger State on Thursday, according to local officials.
Rescue operations have been halted, as authorities no longer believe survivors can be found, Musa Kimboku, a local official, told the BBC.
The flood, described as the worst in 60 years, struck the districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa following torrential rainfall.
District head Muhammadu Aliyu said efforts will soon begin to exhume bodies buried underground to prevent disease outbreaks in the affected areas.
Survivors described harrowing scenes. Adamu Yusuf said he watched as his wife and newborn were swept away.
“I survived because I could swim,” he said.
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Another resident, Saliu Sulaiman, lost his home and about $1,500 in farm produce earnings.
Some residents believe the destruction was worsened by a burst dam, though authorities have not confirmed this.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said on Sunday it had begun distributing relief supplies.
It also reported damage to roads and bridges, disrupting the local economy and transport.
The Nigerian Red Cross stated the flooding caused “significant loss of life and widespread distress.”
Flooding is a recurring issue during Nigeria’s rainy season, which runs from April to October. In past years, deadly floods have displaced thousands and claimed hundreds of lives.
