At least 20 killed in Nigeria flooding

At least 20 killed in Nigeria flooding

2011-08-29 07:20:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

ABUJA (BNO NEWS) -- At least 20 people have been killed and thousands displaced by heavy flooding in and around the southwestern Nigerian city of Ibadan, officials said on Sunday.

A dam overflowed and washed away numerous buildings and bridges in the region, following heavy rains which began on Friday, according to the BBC. "It's a very serious situation," said Yushau Shuaib, an official in the city, 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Lagos.

Hundreds of cars were also reported to have been submerged in the floods, while businesses and farmlands were also damaged. Shuaib told the BBC it was impossible to give an accurate figure of those displaced, but said that it was "definitely in the thousands".

On Tuesday, 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. At least four people were reportedly killed as rain-triggered floods washed away hundreds of livestock, and other goods such as vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles.

And 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.

More than 300 people were killed across western and central Africa in the 2010 rainy season.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-08-29