Jigawa flood: Death toll rises to 16

Following a flood that wreaked havoc in Jigawa state after heavy rainfall and overflow of River Hadejia, the death toll has risen from six to 16 people. Six people were reported dead in the first week of August, after a building collapsed on four people in Kirikassamma and and another on two others in Kafin […]

Following a flood that wreaked havoc in Jigawa state after heavy rainfall and overflow of River Hadejia, the death toll has risen from six to 16 people.

Six people were reported dead in the first week of August, after a building collapsed on four people in Kirikassamma and and another on two others in Kafin Hausa local government areas.

The Executive Secretary of Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Sani Yusuf Babura, made this known in a chat with Daily Trust in Dutse.

Babura stated that within the last two weeks, the death toll rose to 16 after 10 more others were also reported dead, saying all the deceased lost their lives in a building collapse except of two who drowned.

He added that the death toll in Kirikasamma LGA, had risen from four to nine while three new cases were recorded in Birnin kudu LGA as well as four others in Jahun LGA.

According to him, the flood affected 6, 582 people in 34 communities across six LGAs that includes Guri, Dutse, Gwaram, Babura, Kafin Hausa and Buji.

“The devastation as a result of flood in Jigawa state has so far claimed 16 lives. Four out of the deceased were female. The level of devastation in term of destruction of houses and number of victims is more than the record at our hands as assessment is still ongoing.

“The assessment of the LGAs that were most hit by the disaster is still ongoing because the proportion of the affected areas are large and with quite a number of victims. Therefore, when we finish the exercise the statistics of the devastation will increase,” he said.