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Twenty-one people have died after heavy rains caused flooding in Niger State, Nigeria. The severe weather occurred on Thursday, submerging around 50 houses in two communities, according to local emergency officials.

Ibrahim Hussaini, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, stated that three people were rescued and are receiving medical assistance at the central hotel in the city of Mokwa. He added that 21 fatalities have been confirmed, and another ten people are still missing.

The severe flooding hit the communities of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa in Mokwa, Niger State.

According to the outlet ‘Punch’, Abullahi Baba-Arah, Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said “the agency, in collaboration with the Mokwa authorities, diverse and very brave volunteers conducted a search and rescue operation to rescue survivors and recover corpses.” 

Preliminary reports indicate that the torrential rainfall in Mokwa swept away hundreds of structures and left several people, including children, unaccounted for.

Nigeria is prone to flooding during its rainy season, which typically begins in April. 

Last September, dozens of people were killed and others trapped after devastating floods swept through Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State. Sirajo Garba, the northeast zonal coordinator for the country’s Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said that over 1,000 people had been rescued, and that more than 70,000 displaced persons were staying in seven camps.

In 2022, Nigeria experienced one of its worst flooding disasters, leaving over 600 people killed and more than 1.4 million displaced, while 82,035 houses were damaged.

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