160 dead after floods in Nigeria

According to official figures, more than 160 people have died in devastating floods in Nigeria . Many are still missing since torrential rains caused chaos and destruction a week ago. The town of Mokwa, with a population of around 400,000, is in Niger State, 370 kilometers east of the capital Abuja. Rescue and search operations are being hampered by damaged roads and bridges, the National Civil Protection Agency said. There is a high risk of disease spreading. More than 3,000 people have been displaced, and more than 260 houses and two bridges have been destroyed. President Bola Tinubu announced that all relevant federal authorities have been mobilized for the rescue operation.

Typically, Nigeria experiences its heaviest rainfall between April and October. Floods are not uncommon in Africa's most populous country, but a flood disaster of this magnitude is. Most recently, in September, heavy rains and the collapse of a dam in Borno State killed many people and displaced hundreds of thousands. Inmates managed to escape from a prison severely damaged by the floods.

Experts point to climate change, but also to the authorities' failure to take adequate precautions against heavy rainfall. The situation is exacerbated by densely populated areas, inadequate sewage systems, and garbage in storm drains and canals.

Among the victims in Mokwa are many children. A 27-year-old resident told Reuters that four of her five children were swept away by the floods. She hoped to at least find their bodies so they could be buried. "My children were gone, just like that."