MAIDUGURI: Devastating flooding in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri has killed at least 30 people and displaced more than 400,000 people from their homes, the emergency services said on Wednesday. The catastrophic flooding has been described as the worst the city has seen in three decades.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that the severe inundation was triggered by the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, situated about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the city.
The breach occurred over the weekend, unleashing torrents of water that overwhelmed the dam’s capacity and led to widespread destruction across Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.
NEMA spokesman Ezekiel Manzo confirmed the death toll of 30, while Zubaida Umar, another NEMA official, painted a grim picture of the disaster’s impact. “The situation in Maiduguri is quite frightening,” Umar said.
“The flood has taken over around 40 percent of the entire city. People have been forced out of their homes and are scattered everywhere.”
The floodwaters have affected more than 23,000 households and displaced upwards of 150,000 people, with the total number of displaced residents expected to potentially reach one million. Umar also reported that the city’s main hospital has been impacted by the flooding, adding to the crisis.
The United Nations refugee agency in Nigeria described the flooding as the most severe the city has experienced in 30 years. Emergency responders are struggling to provide aid and shelter to those affected, as many are forced to seek refuge in temporary shelters or with relatives.
