AT LEAST 33 people have died in floods following days of heavy rain in Nigeria’s northwestern Jigawa state, an official said Friday (Aug 23).
Haruna Mairinga, head of the State Emergency Management Agency, told Anadolu Agency that the continuous heavy rains in Jigawa, known as a state of agriculture, occurred from mid-week to the weekend.
This natural phenomenon caused bridges on rivers to collapse, widespread flooding and destruction in the affected areas.
“The death toll from floods across 14 local government areas in Jigawa State has now reached 33, up from 28 earlier this week,” he said.
He added that 44,000 people had been left homeless. He also said the floods had damaged 7,800 homes and inundated 10,337 hectares of farmland.
Thousands of people left homeless by the floods are receiving medical care and food assistance in temporary shelters provided by the government.
The government and the public are worried that the flooding will continue after the country’s Hydrological Services Agency issued a flood warning on Friday over the rising water levels of the Niger River in neighboring Niger. (Ant/Z-2)
#Nigeria #Floods #Kill #Tens #Thousands #Displaced
