Over 700 Feared Dead in Nigeria’s Worst Floods in Decades
Officials halt rescue operations as hopes fade; residents recount tragic loss of loved ones and homes
- Over 700 people dead or missing after catastrophic floods hit Mokwa, Niger State
- Rescue operations halted as officials say chances of survival are unlikely
- Homes, roads, and livelihoods destroyed, with fears of disease and economic fallout
The death toll from catastrophic flooding in the Nigerian town of Mokwa has surpassed 700, officials confirm.
More than 200 bodies have been officially recovered, while approximately 500 people remain missing. Local official Musa Kimboku told the BBC that rescue operations have been halted, as there is little hope of finding survivors.
The floods, described as the worst in the area in 60 years, ravaged the districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa after intense, relentless rainfall.
In response to public health concerns, authorities plan to exhume bodies buried underground to prevent disease outbreaks, according to Mokwa’s district head, Muhammadu Aliyu.
Eyewitnesses recounted harrowing scenes as floodwaters swept away homes and loved ones.
One resident, Adamu Yusuf, shared his heartbreak after losing his wife and newborn child, surviving only because he knew how to swim. Another, Saliu Sulaiman, lamented the loss of $1,500 in business earnings wiped out by the floods.
While some locals blame a nearby dam burst for the devastation, officials have yet to verify this claim. The floodwaters were so powerful that bodies were found as far as an hour away in the town of Rabba.
Mokwa’s Deputy Vice-Chairman, Musa Kimboku, advised surrounding villages to bury any recovered corpses, while District Head Aliyu revealed some bodies were carried downstream into the River Niger and remain unrecoverable.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has begun distributing relief aid to those affected, noting that damaged roads and bridges are worsening economic and transportation challenges. The Nigerian Red Cross described the disaster as causing “significant loss of life and widespread distress.”
Flooding is a frequent hazard during Nigeria’s rainy season, which runs from April to October. The country has faced deadly floods in recent years, including a 2022 disaster that killed over 600 and displaced 1.3 million people, and severe floods earlier this year in 2024.
