500 Killed, 1,546 Injured In Mass Flooding In 31 States And Abuja

An estimated 500 persons, including children, have died so far, in the massive flooding ravaging several parts of the country in the ongoing rainy season.

Also, 1,546 were injured in the flooding which affected over 1.4 million people in 31 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Permanent Secretary in Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr. Nasir Qwarzo, announced this at a meeting convened to assess the impact of the flood.

Gwarzo in his update, described the magnitude of this year’s flood as the most devastating since 2012.

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Giving more details on the havoc wreaked by the flood, he said 790,254 persons had been displaced, 44 thousand and 99 houses partially damaged, and 45,249 totally damaged .

Also, 76,168 hectares of farmland had been partially washed away, while 70,566 hectares were washed away.

Recall that Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has warned Nigerians to expect more flooding in the coming days, following the information obtained from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

NiMet Director General, Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, gave the warning in Abuja at a workshop on Hydro-meteorological Status and Outlook System (HydroSOS).

This is coming as the death toll from the flood that has hit various states in the country hits 500.

While stating the part of the country which would be most affected, coupled with dams being left open by the neighbouring countries, Matazu noted that there will be more floods.

The DG warned, ”from the information we’re getting from NIHSA we’re going to see more floods. The rain is now concentrating more on the North Central and the southern states. So that will be a combination of short-duration, high-intensity rain, with riverine flooding.