Tragedy struck again in Jos, the Plateau State capital, as no fewer than 35 people were confirmed dead yesterday, following a flood disaster which ravaged some parts of the city on Sunday.
Several other people were also discovered missing and were yet to be found, while more than 200 houses were destroyed.
Areas mostly affected include Anguwan Rogo, Gangare and Rikkos, all in Jos North Local Government area of the state.
National Mirror gathered that the rain, which started about 9p.m. that resulted in the flooding of houses which were built on the bank of River Rikkos, which overflowed its banks during the downpour.
It was gathered that most of those who died were women and children who were already asleep as the rain was falling. Some corpses have already been recovered and deposited at a morgue.
“So far, we have recovered 16 corpses but many others are still missing,” the Publicity Secretary of Jama’atul-Nasril- Islam, Alhaji Faruk Umar, said.
“We have just buried 14 corpses, while two bodies have just been discovered. But we are still searching for more bodies because many people are still missing.
“More than 200 houses were washed away following the flooding of Rikkos River,” he added, listing the worst-hit areas as Gangare and Ungwan-Rogo.
There had earlier been a heavy rainfall between 3p.m. and 5p.m. on Sunday. Then, the heavier downpour started again about 9p.m. and lasted till 10:30p.m.
The Secretary of the Red Cross in Plateau State, Mennaseh Pampe, confirmed the death toll. He said 35 bodies had so far been recovered.
Phampe said among the victims are a 90-year-old woman and a three-monthold baby, adding that casualty figure is likely to rise.
“Rainwater and water from the Lamingo dam swept across several neighbourhoods in the city,’’ he explained.
“We are still searching for more bodies as many people have been declared missing.’’
Reacting to the incident, a community leader in Gangare, Alhaji Guda Usman Ali, said, “once there is a downpour, even if it doesn’t rain in the area, water comes from around Dilimi down to Rikkos and Gangare, noting that the stream even flows into Lake Chad.
“It’s a serious disaster, because several people have died, many are missing and several others rendered homeless.
“The only thing that I will urge the government to do is to come and repair this place for them, so that they can go far away from the river, because once you are away from the river, the flood will not affect you,” Usman added.
The Director, Relief and Rehabilitation of the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA, Mr. Edward Maigida, said the search and rescue team had started work, adding that 50 people were still missing.
He said the agency could not give the actual number of displaced persons for now, noting that Continued from page 2 some of them were being sheltered at the College of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Jos.
“We are conducting a census to ascertain their number and work out immediate intervention before some lasting arrangements.
“We are also still assessing the situation around the vicinities and shall do what we can do immediately before getting to the headquarters,” he said.
The NEMA official said: “We are again going to sit with relevant government agencies because anything to do with flooding means that so many things are wrong, especially town planning.
“If we must address this, we must seat together look at all those things that lead to flooding.”
The Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, Mr. Emmanuel Abu, described the incident as a “natural disaster,” saying, however, that he had not received detailed report of the incident.
“I will get back to you immediately we have the full details,” he told our correspondent on phone.
Meanwhile, a victim of the flood, Mr. Adam Ahmad, said that he was still searching for his wife and two children.
“I am not sure they are still alive; but I can only say that I am still searching for them,” a visibly shaken Ahmad told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Jos.
“We were sleeping when we heard water rushing into the house and before we realised what was happening, the whole place became like a stream.
“I immediately rushed to where my children were sleeping but did not see them; the whole place was taken over by water with a high speed current sweeping all around me.
“I was confused and rushed to where my wife was, but before I could enter her room, the entire house collapsed.
“It is a miracle that I escaped because the water almost consumed me. It got to my neck before I rushed out of the building.
“The building is lying over there,” he said, pointing to the debris of what used to be his house.
Ahmad, who could not hold back tears, said that life was not worth living without his family.
The state government in a statement by Commissioner for Information and Communication, Abraham Yiljap, expressed sadness over the disaster, even as Governor Jonah Jang directed that the State Relief Committee should step in immediately to provide assistance to the victims.
“Government is saddened by this unexpected natural phenomenon, which has brought grief to the people in its wake.
“Consequently, Governor Jang has directed the State Relief Committee to step in with immediate and provide relief for the surviving victims.”
Culled: National Mirror
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