Niger: Flood Displaces Residents in Kpautagi Community

Fresh flooding has struck the Kpautagi community in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State after hours of heavy rainfall on Saturday, June 14.

According to residents, the downpour started Friday night and persisted into the early hours of Saturday, triggering severe flooding that forced numerous families to evacuate their homes.

The exact number of casualties and the full scale of property damage remain unknown at this time.

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Severe flooding in Nigeria’s Niger State this week has claimed the lives of 151 people and displaced thousands, an emergency official confirmed to Reuters on Saturday. Ibrahim Audu Hussaini, Director of Information at the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, provided the updated death toll — a significant rise from the 117 fatalities reported on Friday. He said the disaster has affected over 500 households, displacing more than 3,000 people. The deadly flood struck the central town of Mokwa on Wednesday night, continuing into Thursday morning. Days after the disaster, rescue teams were still combing through mud and debris in a desperate search for more victims. Nigeria is especially vulnerable to flooding during its rainy season, which began in April. In 2022, the country experienced its most devastating floods in over a decade, with more than 600 deaths, 1.4 million people displaced, and 440,000 hectares (approximately 1.09 million acres) of farmland destroyed.

Efforts to get a response from the Niger State Government were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

The latest flooding comes just days after a similar incident in the same Mokwa area reportedly claimed over 200 lives and displaced thousands of residents.

Eyewitnesses previously described scenes of devastation, with bodies recovered from various parts of the town and families still searching for missing loved ones.

Residents are now calling on the government for urgent intervention to avert further disasters and safeguard lives and property.

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