Agencies MOKWA

The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Mokwa, a significant trading and transportation hub in Nigeria's north-central Niger state, has surged to at least 200, with another 500 missing,  according to local officials. The floods, triggered by intense pre-dawn rainfall last Thursday, overwhelmed the town located approximately 380 kilometers west of Abuja.

Rescue operations have now been called off, as authorities believe there are no further survivors, Mokwa Local Government deputy chairman Musa Kimboku told The Associated Press. Efforts are now focused on exhuming bodies buried under debris to prevent disease outbreaks, Kimboku added.

Ibrahim Audu Husseini, spokesperson for Niger State emergency services, reported that 11 people were injured and over 3,000 displaced by the disaster. He stated that at least 500 households across three communities were impacted by the "sudden and intense flood that built rapidly in about five hours."

The deluge left many roofs barely visible, with residents wading waist-deep in water to salvage belongings. Two roads were washed away and two bridges collapsed, further hindering relief efforts, Husseini confirmed. In a statement on Friday night, President Bola Tinubu extended condolences to the victims and their families, announcing that he had "directed the activation of an emergency response to support victims and accelerate recovery."

While flooding is common during Nigeria's wet season, this event has proven exceptionally deadly. Northern Nigerian communities are increasingly experiencing prolonged dry spells followed by intense rainfall, a pattern exacerbated by climate change. Mokwa, a farming region near the River Niger, is reportedly unaccustomed to such severe flooding. 

Jibril Muregi, chairman of the Mokwa local government area, stated that "construction of flood-control works was long overdue," suggesting that infrastructure shortcomings may have contributed to the scale of the disaster.