Heavy rainfall in city of Jos forced a dam to overflow, causing flooding that left at least 35 people dead and destroyed or damaged some 200 homes, the Red Cross said Monday.
“We have recovered the bodies of 35 people that drowned in the overnight flooding,” said Manasie Phampe, head of the Red Cross in Plateau state, where Jos is the capital.
“About 200 homes have either been submerged or destroyed.”
He said the confirmed victims so far included a 90-year-old woman and a three-month-old baby, adding that the toll could rise.
“Rainwater and water from the Lamingo dam which overflowed swept across several neighbourhoods in the city,” he explained.
“We are still searching for more bodies as many people have been declared missing.”
An official with National Emergency Management Agency based in Jos, Edward Maigida, said his staff was still trying to compile a list of those missing or killed.
Much of the country has been affected by heavy seasonal rainfall, including Jos in the centre of the country and the economic capital Lagos in the south, where flooding has caused several road closures and other damage.
Last week, at least three people were killed by flood waters in Ibadan, just west of Lagos.
The rainy season typically runs from March to September.”
