Borno: How Flood Claimed Over 30 Lives, Affected One Million Residents

The severe flooding which ravaged Maiduguri, the Borno State capital has claimed at least 30 lives, officials said Wednesday.

Hundreds of homes were flooded by the incident, which also caused significant damage to properties, including farmlands, residential areas, and business premises.

The disaster followed the collapse of the Alau Dam, which overflowed its banks, sending floodwaters from about 10 kilometres away into Maiduguri.

“The death toll is 30,” National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesman, Ezekiel Manzo, told AFP.

Residents, however, said the casualty figure could be higher as several people, including children, are still unaccounted for.

“Nobody has the actual number of people that died from this catastrophe,” said Tasiu Abdullahi, a resident of one of the affected areas in Gwange.

“It could be as high as sixty or more,” Babagana Modu, a taxi driver said. Key locations affected include the Monday Market, the Shehu of Borno’s Palace, Shehuri, Gwange, Adamkolo, Gamboru, Fori, Bulabulin, Post Office areas, Moromoro, and Customs Bridge.

The Gwange cemetery was swept away, with corpses seen floating through the streets.

Patients at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) were left stranded as parts of the facility were flooded. (AFP)