Hundreds dead and missing after Nigerian town submerged by floods

At least 200 people are confirmed dead after severe flooding in the Nigerian market town of Mokwa. Five hundred others are still missing and rescue operations have ceased.

Heavy rains early on Thursday led to sudden and intense flooding in the space of just a few hours. Roads and bridges were swept away as the water rose, leaving rooftops barely visible and residents fighting to survive.

Fatima Kontagora, a mother of six, lost four of her children:

“My children and property were carried away. My own children, taken by the flood, there are four, and we’re yet to see their remains. All my property is gone, all my finances are gone; there’s nothing left for me now. Even this dress I have on was given to me by someone else. In my family alone, we lost 18 people.”

Some 380 kilometres west of Abuja, Mokwa is a trading hub and farming region on the banks of the River Niger. Flooding is common during Nigeria’s wet season but prolonged dry spells and excessive rainfall have led to some of the worst floods in 60 years.

In September, torrential rains and a dam collapse in the northeastern city of Maiduguri caused severe flooding that left at least 30 people dead and displaced millions, worsening the humanitarian crisis caused by Boko Haram.