Mokwa: The death toll from devastating flooding in a market town in Nigeria's north-central state of Niger rose to at least 200 on Sunday, a local official said. Torrents of predawn rainfall early Thursday unleashed the devastating flood on Mokwa, nearly 380 kilometers (236 miles) west of Abuja and a major trading and transportation hub.
According to Emirates News Agency, the deputy chairman of Mokwa Local Government, Musa Kimboku, stated that rescue operations have been called off, as authorities no longer believe there are any survivors. To prevent the outbreak of disease, officials are currently exhuming bodies buried beneath the rubble, Kimboku added.
On Saturday, the spokesperson for the Niger State emergency service, Ibrahim Audu Husseini, reported that an additional 11 people were injured and more than 3,000 people were displaced. The sudden and intense flood affected at least 500 households across three communities, building rapidly in about five hours. This left roofs barely visible and surviving residents waist-deep in water, trying to salvage what they could and rescue others.