Heavy rainfall in city of Jos forced
a dam to overflow, causing flooding that left at least 35 people dead and
damaged some homes, about 200 homes, the Red Cross said Monday.
“We have recovered the bodies of 35
people that drowned in the overnight flooding,” said Manasie Phampe, head of
the Red Cross in Plateau state, where Jos is the capital. “About 200 homes have
either been submerged or destroyed.”
He said the confirmed victims so far
included a 90-year-old woman and a three-month-old baby, adding that the toll
could rise.
“Rainwater and water from the
Lamingo dam which overflowed swept across several neighbourhoods in the city,”
he explained. “We are still searching for more bodies as many people have been
declared missing.”
An official with National Emergency
Management Agency based in Jos, Edward Maigida, said his staff was still trying
to compile a list of those missing or killed.
Much of the country has been
affected by heavy seasonal rainfall, including Jos in the centre of the country
and the economic capital Lagos in the south, where flooding has caused several
road closures and other damage.
Last week, at least three people
were killed by flood waters in Ibadan, just west of Lagos.
The rainy season typically runs from
March to September.”
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