More than 100 people have lost their lives, and several others are still missing after a torrential downpour triggered severe flooding in Mokwa, a town in central Nigeria’s Niger State, local authorities said on Friday.
The flood followed heavy rains that began Wednesday night and continued into Thursday morning, submerging large parts of the town.
Ibrahim Audu Husseini, spokesperson for the state emergency management agency, confirmed that rescue efforts were ongoing as of Friday.
“We have so far recovered 115 bodies and more are expected to be recovered because the flood came from far distance and washed people into the River Niger. Downstream, bodies are still being recovered,” Husseini told the AFP news agency. “So, the toll keeps rising.”
According to Husseini, over 3,000 houses were submerged in the flood.
Mokwa, located about 230 miles (370 kilometers) west of the capital city, Abuja, serves as a commercial hub in Niger State. It frequently sees a high volume of traders and heavy-duty vehicles transporting goods to various parts of the country.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had earlier issued a warning on Wednesday, forecasting heavy storms for Abuja and 14 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including Niger, as the rainy season—typically from April to October—progresses.
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Niger State, the largest by landmass in Nigeria, houses three major dams—Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro—which contribute significantly to the national electricity grid. A fourth dam is currently under construction.
Flooding has been a recurring challenge in the state. In April, the release of water from one of the dams destroyed over 5,000 farms across 30 communities, including Mokwa. Local reports indicate that this is the sixth flooding incident in Niger State this year.
In 2022, Nigeria experienced one of its deadliest flood disasters, with over 600 fatalities, the displacement of approximately 1.4 million people, and the destruction of 440,000 hectares of farmland.
Climate experts continue to warn that global warming is intensifying extreme weather events, increasing the likelihood of devastating floods across vulnerable regions like Niger State.
