At least 4 killed in northeastern Nigeria floods

At least 4 killed in northeastern Nigeria floods

2011-08-24 22:10:53 GMT+7 (ICT)

DARAZO, NIGERIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least four people have been killed and over 1,500 others have been displaced after rain-triggered floods in Nigeria's northeast, local media reported on Wednesday.

More than 150 houses were destroyed in the village of Kari, which is located in Darazo of Bauchi state, after six hours of nonstop rain on Tuesday. The Nigerian Red Cross Society in Bauchi State told The Nation newspaper that around 1,800 local residents had been affected.

Among the fatalities are a woman and her 3-year-old child whose mud house caved in during the heavy rains, Nigerian Red Cross Society Secretary Adamu Abubakar said. The body of another man was discovered during search and rescue operations after his mud house had also caved in.

The Red Cross said the floods washed away at least 150 houses, hundreds of livestock, and other goods such as vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles. While emergency teams have set up a temporary camp at a local elementary school, where basic needs are being gathered, flooding in Kirfi has also destroyed dozens of houses, although no casualties have been reported there.

In late June, at least 24 people were killed and many others were injured when torrential rains flooded the northern city of Kano. Numerous buildings collapsed and were destroyed.

According to authorities, more than 500,000 people across the country, mostly in the North, were displaced last year by flooding. The National Emergency Management Agency recently warned state governments in the North to take preventive measures against floods.

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