Adamu Yusuf heard his neighbor screaming about rising water Thursday morning as he prepared for market day. Floodwaters had built up behind an old railway track that runs through Mokwa town. Heavy rains collected behind the mud mounds where trains once traveled through Niger state. Debris blocked the drainage pipes that normally let water flow through safely. The clay walls collapsed and sent deadly floods racing through the community.
More than 150 people died when floods hit the Nigerian town and hundreds remain missing. Rescue teams search for bodies that traveled up to 10 kilometers away after strong currents swept victims into the Niger River. Yusuf lost consciousness during the disaster and woke up learning that nine family members had disappeared. Only one body from his family has been found among the wreckage. Children as young as 10 help adults dig through rubble looking for missing relatives.
Officials warned about possible flash floods before the disaster struck Mokwa and 14 other Nigerian states. Poor drainage systems and homes built near waterways make flooding worse across the country. Climate change creates more extreme weather patterns that affect millions of people. President Bola Tinubu promised military help but few soldiers appeared at the disaster scene. Many flood survivors still wait for government assistance after losing everything they owned.
More than 150 people died when floods hit the Nigerian town and hundreds remain missing. Rescue teams search for bodies that traveled up to 10 kilometers away after strong currents swept victims into the Niger River. Yusuf lost consciousness during the disaster and woke up learning that nine family members had disappeared. Only one body from his family has been found among the wreckage. Children as young as 10 help adults dig through rubble looking for missing relatives.
Officials warned about possible flash floods before the disaster struck Mokwa and 14 other Nigerian states. Poor drainage systems and homes built near waterways make flooding worse across the country. Climate change creates more extreme weather patterns that affect millions of people. President Bola Tinubu promised military help but few soldiers appeared at the disaster scene. Many flood survivors still wait for government assistance after losing everything they owned.
