In Nigeria, particularly in the city of Mokwa, heavy flooding occurred in a nearby city on May 28 and 29 after hours of heavy rainfall. This was followed by a dam burst, which further exacerbated the situation. As a result, 256 houses were destroyed and over 3,000 people were displaced by the flood. According to current information, at least 200 people have lost their lives. The authorities fear that the number of victims will continue to rise as bodies continue to be recovered. The rescue operation is still ongoing in Mokwa [1,2].
The head of government, Bola Tinubu, assured via online services that relief supplies and temporary shelters were immediately made available in Mokwa and that the military had been instructed to support the search for survivors. Many people were swept away by the masses of water in the river. For this reason, the recovery of bodies downstream is continuing, said disaster control spokesman Husseini. Numerous people are still missing [3].
Seasonal flooding is a regular occurrence here. In 2022, over 600 people died and more than one million were left homeless. More rain and possible flooding are also expected in the coming weeks [1,2].
(Status: 01/06/2025, 9:00 CEST)
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[1] tagesschau (2025): Mehr als 100 Tote bei Überflutungen in Nigeria. Accessed on: 02.06.2025 at: https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/afrika/nigeria-ueberflutungen-102.html
[2] Zeit (2025): Mindestens 150 Menschen sterben bei Überschwemmungen in Nigeria. Accessed on: 02.06.2025 at: https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2025-05/ueberschwemmungen-nigeria-ueber-150-tote
[3] MSN (2025): Nigeria: Behörden melden 151 Tote nach Überschwemmungen. Accessed on: 02.06.2025 at:
Nigeria: Behörden melden 151 Tote nach Überschwemmungen
(Image source: Haruna Yahaya und Tagesschau)