A woman and her five children were among no fewer than 38 persons killed after heavy rainfall in Jos North forced a dam to overflow, flooding Rikkos and Gangere areas of the Plataeu State on Sunday evening.
No fewer than 100 persons were displaced, with at least 50 declared missing and over 50 houses swept away.
The rain, which started at about 4.30pm, lasted for more than eight hours before it subsided.
Meteorologists had predicted heavy rainfall in Jos in July. Figures obtained from the Meteorological Department had predicted that Jos would experience heavy flooding with forecast for Sunday put at +18 degree centigrade to +22 degrees centigrade.
A former Councillor representing Rikkos/Gangere ward, Mr. Abdullahi Gangere, told our correspondent in an interview that more than 30 people were swept away by the heavy flooding that accompanied the torrential rainfall.
“I went there to assess the extent of damage and it was much. We are still searching for a lot of people mostly children who were swept away by the flood,” he said.
A resident of the area, Abubakar Mahmud, said many of the residents were sleeping when the floods came.
He said, “Because it was dark nobody could see anything. The floods just carried the houses and people living in them along and none of the victims could receive any help.”
Acting Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Mohammed Abdulsalam, who confirmed the development to our correspondent in Jos on Monday, said that 17 people were confirmed dead in the flood, adding that rescue efforts were still ongoing for the missing persons.
He said, “We were informed of the development at about 8.30 this morning and our search and rescue team got there one hour after. As at the time we got there 14 bodies have been pulled out and three others were pulled out from under the bridge.
“The bodies were also being prepared for burial. We are coordinating the rescue efforts with the Red Cross, Ja’amatu Nasril Islam and Ja’amatu Izalatil Bidi’a Wa’iqamatis Sunna to find the over 50 missing persons mostly children. We have requested for their photographs and other details for the search and rescue operation.”
He added, “We have opened three camps for the displaced persons at Government Secondary School, Rikkos and Gangere Primary School, Gangere.”
However, the Red Cross told AFP on Monday the flooding killed at least 35 persons, destroying or damaging some 200 homes.
Head of the Red Cross in the state, Manasie Phampe, said, “We have recovered the bodies of 35 people that drowned in the overnight flooding. About 200 homes have either been submerged or destroyed.”
The confirmed victims so far included a 90-year-old woman and a three-month-old baby, adding that the toll could rise, he said.
Phampe added, “Rainwater and water from the Lamingo dam which overflowed swept across several neighbourhoods in the city.
“We are still searching for more bodies as many people have been declared missing.”
He said that already relief materials in the form of beddings, toiletries and other consumables have been made available to the displaced persons.
Commissioner for Environment, Mrs. Sarah Yusuf, told our correspondent that both NEMA and SEMA were coordinating relief efforts as well as providing relief materials to the displaced victims
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