After rain began on Wednesday night and continued until Thursday morning, the floods submerged the town of Mokwa. Ibrahim Audu Hussein, a spokesman for the State Department of Emergency Management, said on Friday that rescue operations were still ongoing.
“We have recovered 115 bodies so far, and more are expected to be recovered as floods have come from far away and washed people down into the Niger River. “So tolls continue to rise.”
More than 3,000 homes have been submerged, he added.
About 230 miles (370 km) west of Nigerian capital Abuja, Mokwa is a commercial hub in the state of Niger, where many traders and heavy-duty vehicles often carry goods to other regions.
In Nigeria, the rainy season usually lasts from April to October. On Wednesday, Nigerian weather agency issued forecasts for severe storms in 14 of the 36 states of the country, including Abuja and Niger.
Nigeria’s largest state by Landmas, Nigeria, has three major dams, Kainji, Jeva and Shirolo, making a major contribution to the country’s electricity grid. A fourth dam is under construction.
The state is prone to flooding these days. In April, water released from one of the dams destroyed more than 5,000 farms in 30 communities, including Mokuwa. Local news reports suggested it was the state’s sixth flood this year.
In 2022, Nigeria’s floods killed more than 600 people, ousted about 1.4 million people, and destroyed 440,000 hectares of farmland.
Experts warn of more extreme weather patterns with global heating.
MP/