Flood Kills 35, Destroys 200 houses in Jos

Tragedy struck in Jos, Plateau State capital, Sunday night the 22nd of July 2012, when a rampaging flood swallowed over 35 people and also destroyed more than 200 houses. A 90-year-old woman and a three-month-old baby were among the victims while more than 15 people have also been declared missing.

Heavy rainfall was reported to have forced a dam to overflow causing flooding which submerged several houses, rendering many people homeless.

Areas most affected were parts of Rukuba Road, Angwan Rogo, Angwan Rukuba, Rikkos, Gangare and Farin Gada, among others. By yesterday morning, about three cars were seen submerged in water below the Farin Gada bridge.

The torrential rain which started in the evening on Sunday continued till past midnight making many rivers to overflow their banks.

The head of the Red Cross in the state, Manasie Phampe, said: “We have recovered the bodies of 35 people that drowned in the overnight flooding. About 200 homes have either been submerged or destroyed. Rainwater and water from the Lamingo dam which overflowed swept across several neighbourhoods in the city. We are still searching for more bodies as many people have been declared missing.”

An official with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) based in Jos, Mr. Edward Maigida, said his staff were still trying to compile a list of those missing or killed.

A community leader in Rikkos, Alhaji Abubakar Mahmud confirmed to journalists that about 14 bodies were recovered yesterday morning and were being prepared for burial. He also said that houses and other property were destroyed in the disaster.

Already, NEMA in the state has deployed a  rescue team to search for missing persons in the affected areas.

-Courtesy Vanguard NGR.