Flood kills 21 in Kano, Niger, Jigawa

The Kano State Government has confirmed the death of nine people and injury of five others from a recent flood disaster in nine local government areas of the state.

The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SERERA), Alhaji Ali Bashir, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Wednesday.

Bashir said five persons lost their lives in Rimin Gado, three at Gabasawa and one in Getso town, Gwarzo Local Government Area.

“So in all, nine persons lost their lives and five others sustained injuries in the disaster. A total of 4,475 people were affected by the flood,” the scribe said.

A nursing mother and her child were among those killed by a flood on Saturday in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State, the state’s Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) said yesterday.

The woman died with her son strapped to her back, according to NSEMA Director General Ahmed Ibrahim Inga.

“We could not ascertain her identity and where she came from as nobody seems to have known her,” Inga said.

He said among the victims was also a four-year-old girl, Ummi Khaira, who died when a mud building where she ran for shelter along with other children collapsed on them in Rigasa area.

Also confirmed to have died was a young man who had just had written his University Matriculation Examination .

He was said to be playing football with other youngsters.

The remains of a father of eight, 47-year-old Umar Gaya of Ungwar Gwari was also said to have been recovered Tuesday.

Inga said the flood washed away the Kontagora-Makera highway at a point in Rafin Gora, leading to the temporary suspension of vehicular movement, especially trucks by the state government.

In a statement, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Danjuma Sallau, said Niger State Government is working to provide a diversion to enable motorists.

Also, six persons were reported dead in a canoe mishap and building collapse following a flood disaster in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State, the council’s chairman, Abdulrashid Ibrahim said yesterday.