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Texas floods death toll rises to 27 as rescuers search for missing children | Floods News

Authorities in US state face questions about whether they issued proper warnings in advance of rain-fuelled flooding.

Rescuers in the US state of Texas are scrambling to locate more than two dozen children still missing from a Christian summer camp after a powerful storm caused flash floods that authorities say have killed at least 27 people.

Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters on Saturday that the death toll included nine children.

Leitha said around 800 people had been evacuated from the region, about 137km (85 miles) northwest of San Antonio, as flood waters receded on Saturday morning.

Torrential downpour on Friday caused the fast-flowing Guadalupe River to rise nearly nine metres (29 feet) near the Camp Mystic summer camp, where around 750 children were staying.

Twenty-seven attendees were still unaccounted for, according to Dalton Rice, city manager of the nearby town of Kerrville in Kerr County.

The Heart O’ The Hills summer camp, located about 1.6km (1 mile) from Camp Mystic, confirmed on Saturday that its director, Jane Ragsdale, was among the dead.

While the National Weather Service (NWS) said the flash-flood emergency had largely ended for Kerr County – the epicentre of the flooding – it warned of more heavy rain to come, maintaining its flood watch until 7pm local time (00:00 GMT on Sunday).

Rice said that more than 1,000 rescuers were on the ground to help with search-and-rescue efforts. Helicopters and drones were being used, with some people being plucked from trees. US Coast Guard helicopters had flown in to assist.

“They are looking in every possible location,” said Rice, adding that search crews were facing harsh conditions while scouring waterlogged rivers, culverts and rocks.

Reunited family members after Texas flash flooding
People are reunited at a reunification centre in the town of Ingram after flash flooding hit Texas, on July 4, 2025 [Eric Gay/AP Photo]

Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro said that rescue workers had promised to “not give up until the very last person is found – either alive or their body is recovered”.

“That might be a tall order given just how catastrophic these floods were. We’re talking about a region that is dotted with hills and with canyons,” she said.

She added that children in the camps had been particularly vulnerable to the floodwaters, “which rose by eight metres [26 feet] in less than an hour, overnight as they slept”.

Authorities under scutiny

The flooding in the middle of the night on the Fourth of July holiday weekend caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise.

Authorities have come under increasing scrutiny over whether they issued proper warnings and whether enough preparations were made.

State emergency management officials had warned as late as Thursday that west and central Texas faced heavy rains and flash flood threats “over the next couple days”, citing NWS forecasts ahead of the holiday weekend.

The weather forecasts, however, “did not predict the amount of rain that we saw”, W Nim Kidd, director of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said during a news conference on Friday night.

“A lot of questions are being asked about why there weren’t earlier evacuations,” said Al Jazeera’s Zhou-Castro. “They knew there might be rain, they just didn’t know where it would hit, and when it did, it indeed was catastrophic.”

On Saturday morning, US President Donald Trump said the federal government was working with state and local officials to respond to the flooding.

“Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem would soon be on the ground.

The weekend disaster echoes a catastrophic flood almost 40 years ago along the Guadalupe River, where a bus and a van leaving a church camp encountered floodwaters and 10 teenagers drowned trying to escape, according to a NWS summary of the 1987 storm.

Flash floods along Guadalupe River in San Angelo, Texas
A drone view shows flooded houses following torrential rains that unleashed flash floods along the Guadalupe River in San Angelo, Texas, June 4, 2025 [Patrick Keely via Reuters]

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Death toll rises to 36 after India pharmaceutical factory blast, fire | Workers’ Rights News

Another 36 workers remain in hospital with burns and other injuries after the blast and fire at the Sigachi factory.

At least 36 people have been confirmed dead after a powerful explosion triggered a fire at a pharmaceutical factory in the southern Indian state of Telangana.

“The condition of the bodies is such that we’ve had to deploy a specialised medical team to carry out DNA tests,” said Health and Medical Cabinet Minister of Telangana Damodar Raja Narasimha on Tuesday.

A government panel has been formed to investigate the cause of the disaster.

The blast, which erupted on Monday afternoon at a facility run by Sigachi Industries, took place in the plant’s spray dryer unit – a section used to convert raw materials into powder for drug manufacturing. The factory is located roughly 50km (31 miles) from Hyderabad, the state capital.

Authorities recovered 34 bodies from the debris, while two more workers succumbed to injuries in hospital, according to Telangana’s fire services director, GV Narayana Rao.

“The entire structure has collapsed. The fire is under control and we’re continuing to clear the rubble in case more people are trapped,” he told the Associated Press news agency.

Twenty-five of the deceased are yet to be identified, a district administrative official, P Pravinya, said.

About 36 workers remain in hospital with burns and other injuries. Police officials said that more than 140 people were working in the plant when the incident occurred.

Local residents reported hearing the blast from several kilometres away.

The incident has raised new concerns about industrial safety in India’s booming pharmaceutical sector. Despite the country’s reputation as a global supplier of low-cost medicines and vaccines, fatal accidents at drug manufacturing units are not rare, particularly in facilities handling chemicals or solvents.

Sigachi Industries, which has its headquarters in India, produces active pharmaceutical ingredients and nutrient blends, and operates manufacturing plants across the country. It also runs subsidiaries in the United Arab Emirates and the United States, according to its website.

Officials say rescue and recovery efforts will continue until the entire site has been cleared. The factory’s operations have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

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Death toll rises after Pakistan hit by flash floods and heavy rains | News

Flash floods and roof collapses over past 36 hours have claimed 19 lives, increasing total toll to 32, authorities say.

Heavy rain and flash flooding across Pakistan have killed 32 people since the start of the monsoon season earlier this week, according to the disaster management officials.

Flash floods and roof collapses over the past 36 hours have claimed the lives of 19 people, eight of them children, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial disaster management authority said in a statement on Saturday.

Of the total deaths, 13 were reported in the Swat Valley.

At least 13 people have been killed in the eastern province of Punjab since Wednesday, the area’s disaster management authority said.

Eight of the deaths were children, who died when walls and roofs collapsed during heavy rain.

Flash flood risk remains

Flooding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also damaged 56 houses, six of which were destroyed, the disaster authority said.

The national meteorological service warned that the risk of heavy rain and possible flash floods will remain high until at least Tuesday.

Last month, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms in the South Asian nation, which experienced several extreme weather events in the spring, including strong hailstorms.

Pakistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its 240 million inhabitants are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency.

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Gogglebox star Kate Bottley speaks out over ‘exploitative’ show after toll on family

Former Gogglebox cast member Reverend Kate Bottley, who appeared on the Channel 4 show with her husband Graham Bottley from 2014 to 2016, has spoken about the experience

Reverend Kate Bottley and her husband Graham Bottley on their sofa on Gogglebox.
Reverend Kate Bottley appeared on Gogglebox alongside her husband Graham Bottley a decade ago(Image: Channel 4)

Former Gogglebox cast member Reverend Kate Bottley has described the TV show as “quite intrusive” and “consensual exploitation”. She has now spoken about her experience almost a decade on from her decision to leave.

Kate, now 50, appeared on the Channel 4 show alongside her husband Graham Bottley and their late dog Buster from 2014 to 2016. The couple, who have two children, welcomed cameras into their home in Blyth during the several series that they took part in the long-running reality TV show.

Since leaving Gogglebox nine years ago, Kate has featured on several other shows including Songs of Praise and Pilgrimage: the Road To Santiago. The Church of England vicar also presents BBC Radio 2‘s Good Morning Sunday.

Kate reflected on her rise to fame on Gogglebox in an episode of the Walking the Dog podcast released yesterday. She said on the podcast: “I wish I’d known how much it took over our life for two and a half years. It’s reality TV. It’s by its nature … it’s consensual exploitation. […] It was quite intrusive, really. But y’know we consented to that intrusion.”

Reverend Kate Bottley in an orange jacket.
Reverend Kate Bottley rose to fame on Gogglebox, with her appearing on the show from 2014 to 2016(Image: PA)

Speaking about her family, she went on to say: “My kids spent two and a half years sat in their bedrooms every Tuesday and Thursday night or whatever nights they came to film. My kids didn’t have friends round for a lot [of it and] didn’t have help with their homework. Things like that.”

Kate also claimed that they “got paid very little”. She said: “They paid but I cooked two nights a week for the crew.” She then said that she offered to cook because Graham “won’t eat takeaways” and she didn’t want to be filmed eating.

She said: “All the money we got from it went on the electricity, the internet connection that they were using and the food and being hospitable to six people in my home two nights a week. It’s a vicarage as well – I should be hospitable.

“We should be sharing our homes with people and eating food together and stuff. So y’know it was a good two and a half years but we couldn’t have done any more with it, I don’t think. It got to the point where we were just a bit overwhelmed.”

Reverend Kate Bottley in a radio studio.
She’s since become a TV presenter and radio host, alongside her role as a vicar(Image: Instagram/revkatebottley)

Asked if that was why she left, she said on the podcast: “Yeah.” She however then claimed that she wasn’t able to take part in other TV shows whilst under contract for Gogglebox despite wanting to “have a go” at other opportunities.

She continued by saying: “Also, there’s quite tight exclusivity and rightly so because if you’re filming ordinary people sat on their sofa watching TV you can’t then have those people on the TV. It sort of breaks the fourth wall too much.”

Kate said she was offered shows like Would I Lie To You? – which she has since appeared on – but wasn’t allowed to take part because Gogglebox “wouldn’t let you do it”. She said: “There was stuff coming in that I wanted to have a go at which I just wasn’t able, contractually, to do.”

The former cast member then revealed that she gave an “excuse” when she left Gogglebox in 2016. She said: “And it so happened that it came around the time Ruby was doing her GCSEs so the excuse we gave was ‘we’re gonna take some time away while she does her exams’.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.



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Death toll from rain-fuelled landslide in Colombia rises to 11 | Climate News

Authorities say that rescue workers continue to search for the missing and assist residents in town outside of Medellin.

At least 11 people have been killed and 15 remain missing after a landslide in the city of Bello in Colombia’s northwest, according to authorities.

Evacuation orders and rescue efforts continue a day after the landslide, with government officials warning that heavy rains pose an ongoing threat to the area around Medellin, Colombia’s second-largest city.

“We continue to support emergency and rescue work in Bello, where 11 people have sadly been reported killed, at least 15 are missing, and more than 1,500 people are in shelters,” Medellin Mayor Federico Gutierrez said in a social media post on Wednesday.

Floodwaters overwhelmed local waterways on Tuesday during the early morning hours while residents were asleep.

A wave of mud surged through Bello, a crowded community in the hills above Medellin, burying about a dozen homes, sweeping away cars and leaving behind piles of debris.

Rescue workers have used dogs, drones and other means to search for the missing. Shelters have been set up in local schools and community centres.

People search through debris and mud
Residents search for missing people after a deadly landslide was triggered by heavy rain in Bello, part of Colombia’s Antioquia state, on June 25 [Fredy Amariles/AP Photo]

Heavy rains pose especially high risks for makeshift homes built into the hillsides, which can become unstable during periods of sustained rainfall. It is often the country’s poorer residents who live in these danger zones, many of them having fled conflict in Colombia’s rural areas for the relative safety of a city.

The Medellin town hall also issued evacuation orders for Villatina, also on the outskirts of Medellin, on Tuesday, stating that 23 buildings would be demolished due to the risk of possible collapse. The town hall says that the order was based on previous landslides during late May, and that the risk posed by the insecure structures has been aggravated by recent heavy rain.

Around 60 homes were also ordered evacuated in Medellin, which suffered damage during recent storms.

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Cable channel C-SPAN looks for help as streaming takes a toll

C-SPAN, the nonprofit outfit that has brought live gavel-to-gavel congressional coverage to cable TV viewers for decades, is feeling the squeeze faced by the rest of the TV business.

As consumers drop their traditional cable and satellite TV subscriptions for streaming platforms, C-SPAN’s main funding source is shrinking. The trend poses a threat to one of the rare media institutions that has bipartisan political support, including a fan in the Oval Office.

“It’s not a sustainable situation,” said C-SPAN Chief Executive Sam Feist said in an interview.

C-SPAN stands for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, and therein lies the problem. The service is supported by cable and satellite operators who have seen their customer base steadily decline as consumers move to streaming platforms that now account for half of all TV viewing, according to recent data from Nielsen. C-SPAN, which reached around 100 million pay TV homes in 2015, is now down to 51 million households.

The contraction has led to a significant loss in revenue for C-SPAN, which has never sold advertising. C-SPAN took in $46.3 million in 2024, down 37% from $73 million in 2015, and is now running a deficit.

C-SPAN is not a glamorous TV operation. There are no high-priced anchors or slick studio sets. But it does need funding for the 30-plus camera crews that cover every moment the House and Senate are in session, think tank panels, town halls and other political events in Washington and around the country. C-SPAN uses its own cameras in the Capitol, enabling the service to catch the action when government-operated audio and visual equipment is cut off.

Feist said C-SPAN can fill its budget gap if companies that run smaller bundles of TV channels — such as Google’s YouTube TV and Walt Disney Co.’s Hulu Live TV — would agree to carry its feeds. Around 20 million households subscribe to such online subscription platforms, known as virtual multichannel video program distributors, which stream broadcast and cable channels.

It’s a big ask. Subscription streaming TV services are under pressure to keep their prices low so they can remain a cheaper alternative to a cable or satellite package. Every new channel increases the cost of a subscription.

C-SPAN is currently in discussions with Hulu and YouTube to get carriage.

“We are continuing to work with C-SPAN to find an approach that could support further access to their civic content,” a YouTube representative said. “We are proud that a large amount of C-SPAN’s content is available to viewers on the YouTube main platform, where it is accessible to everyone for free and generates advertising revenue for C-SPAN.”

C-SPAN was launched in 1979 when cable TV providers were looking to get in the good graces of local government officials who determined which companies would wire their communities.

Offering a civic-minded channel devoted to displaying democracy in action helped smooth the path for the pay TV industry’s expansion. C-SPAN went on to become a familiar brand that brought goodwill to cable and satellite companies, which have financed the service ever since.

But the C-SPAN legacy is not so meaningful to the upstart streaming services that have a growing number of customers who have never had a traditional pay TV subscription.

The stars of C-SPAN have started to weigh in. On June 2, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution recognizing the anniversary of C-SPAN2, the channel devoted to the chamber’s sessions. The resolution said that live coverage of the proceedings needs to be accessible on all platforms.

C-SPAN also has support from the country’s most prominent TV viewer — President Trump. In recent months, Trump has posted on social media how he watches the channel in the overnight hours when highlights of the previous day, including his own press events, are presented.

While cable news channels such as CNN and MSNBC often dither over how much time they should devote to covering Trump’s rallies and public events, C-SPAN presents them in their entirety as a matter of course. The Trump White House communications office has praised the approach, which has remained consistent through all modern presidencies.

While some streaming outlets carry congressional proceedings, Feist notes that C-SPAN is still the only service that offers every event live over its three channels, even when they occur simultaneously. That was the case for the confirmations of FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Feist, who is the former Washington bureau chief of CNN, said the neutral approach of C-SPAN has added value in a media environment where outlets now cater to the partisan leanings of their audiences. He cited an Ipsos poll that shows the political breakdown of its audience as 30% Democrat, 30% Republican and 36% independent.

“It matches the demographic of the country,” Feist said. “I think it puts us in a unique space in this ecosystem.”

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Athlete, Pilates instructor, teacher: Human toll of Israel’s attack on Iran | Israel-Iran conflict News

Israel’s attacks on Tehran have not only targeted military bases and nuclear sites, but they also have penetrated the bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms of ordinary citizens. Children have been killed. Teachers have fallen silent. Athletes have been buried in the rubble. All of them were as far removed from politics as possible.

The attacks between Israel and Iran started on Friday, when Israel launched what it called preemptive air strikes targeting more than a dozen Iranian sites — including key nuclear facilities, nuclear scientists and military leaders — in an operation it said was aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

According to the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, at least 224 people have been killed and 1,481 wounded.

Iran has retaliated with a wave of ballistic missile strikes against Israel, claiming the lives of at least 24 people and wounding 380, in an escalation that has raised fears of a broader regional conflict.

In Tehran, the full scale of the destruction remains to be seen. But in the streets, evidence of the lives lost emerges from the wreckage of bombed-out buildings. A child’s lifeless body in the rubble. A dirt-covered doll abandoned in the street. A sketchbook lost among the concrete and dust.

For many Iranians, these scenes evoke memories of the Iran-Iraq War. But this time, the war is not at the borders; it’s in the heart of the capital. Residents say the night sky in Tehran — now dotted with missiles and fires — is not the one they know.

In a mass panic, people are fleeing the city in droves. Petrol stations are overrun. Highways are jammed. Homes that once promised safety stand vulnerable with no emergency shelters or warning sirens.

Here are some of the victims who died in the recent attacks on Tehran.

A headshot of a woman with long dark hair and her eyes, closed leaning into the sunshine.
Pilates instructor Niloufar Ghalehvand was killed in the Israeli bombing campaign [Courtesy of Egab]

The Pilates instructor

On Saturday morning, Tehran reeked of dust and smoke. Israeli missiles had landed on homes that were filled with laughter just hours before. One of the silenced voices belonged to Niloufar Ghalehvand, whose friend Ghazal* recalled the last time she saw her at a cafe sipping coffee, just one night before the bombs fell.

Ghalehvand, a 32-year-old Pilates instructor, was killed along with her father, Kamran Ghalehvand, and her mother, Fatemeh Sedighi, in their home on Ozgol Street in northern Tehran.

“We were at the cafe, having coffee, and she said, ‘Iran is so beautiful. I just wish we could live in peace, like people in other countries,’” Ghazal told Al Jazeera. “I still can’t believe she’s gone. We were making plans to celebrate her 32nd birthday on June 28. She was so full of hope.”

Ghazal said Ghalehvand lived near the residence of Iran’s highest-ranking military commander, General Mohammad Bagheri, the target of the strike.

“They were ordinary people,” Ghazal said of Ghalehvand’s family. “They didn’t engage in political activity.”

Ghalehvand dreamed of becoming a famous Pilates instructor.

“The last time we met, she asked me to help her launch an Instagram page to post her workout videos. She never imagined she would become famous for her death.”

Ghalehvand had been a professional instructor for eight years, but Ghazal said her income was never enough. She worked on commission at local gyms and was always seeking more private clients.

A black-and-white image of Parsa, a tennis player, holding a racket
Friends remember Parsa Mansour for his passion for tennis [Courtesy of Egab]

The athlete

On Friday morning, Parsa Mansour, a 27-year-old professional paddle tennis player, was asleep at home in Shahrara, a densely packed district in northern Tehran, when an Israeli missile struck nearby.

The blast shattered the windows, and debris collapsed on top of him, killing him instantly. His parents, who were in the next room, miraculously survived.

“Parsa was full of laughter and always joking,” said Saman*, his best friend. He noted that Parsa was a self-made athlete who trained alone without a coach.

“When I saw the Tennis Federation’s announcement of his death, I was in shock. I didn’t believe it at first. Then I went to his home. It was in ruins,” Saman said.

“Parsa’s father is in a terrible state. He still can’t believe his son is gone.”

People look upward at a bombed apartment building.
Amin Ahmad’s father was killed when a bomb struck their house [Courtesy of Egab]

The son who lost his father

On Sunday afternoon, Amin Ahmad, a 30-year-old taekwondo athlete, witnessed his father’s horrific death in eastern Tehran.

“I saw it with my own eyes,” said Ahmad. “My father was blasted out of the house. His face was burned, and his ears were torn off.”

Ahmad’s voice trembled as he recalled his father’s final moments.

“We were trapped inside. I had to force the window bars open and call out for help. Someone brought a ladder, and my mother and I escaped,” he said.

“My father was a teacher. He bought this home after a lifetime of hard work, so he could retire in peace. Now he’s dead, and the house is destroyed. What was his crime? I don’t know what to do.”

Ehsan Bayrami, a smiling, young bearded man with sunglasses
Ehsan Bayrami was killed on his way home from work [Courtesy of Egab]

The photographer

On Sunday at midday, after two nights of Israeli fighter jets buzzing Iranian airspace, an explosion struck the relatively wealthy neighbourhood of Tajrish in northern Tehran. Water pipes burst, flooding the streets.

Ehsan Bayrami, a 35-year-old freelance photographer and graphic designer who was walking nearby, was killed instantly.

Ali*, a colleague, said Bayrami had just left a work meeting and was on his way home.

“He used to film videos for sports clubs and photograph sporting events,” Ali explained.

On Sunday morning, he recalled telling Bayrami to be careful.

“He told me not to worry because it’s safe during the day. ‘Israel only attacks at night when people are asleep,’ he said.”

Ali paused before adding, “Ehsan was incredibly talented and hardworking. He never let anything stop him from working.”

*Ghazal, Saman and Ali preferred not to use their full names while speaking with Al Jazeera to protect their identities.

This article is published in collaboration with the news consortium Egab.

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‘Most expensive bridge in the Europe’ that caused outrage over toll fees

The Skye Bridge is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, which connects mainland Scotland to the Isle of Skye. The bridge was the scene of controversy over the fees charged to use it

Drone view of Skye Bridge at Isle of Skye - Scotland
The Skye Bridge links the island to the mainland(Image: CHUNYIP WONG via Getty Images)

The UK is home to some of the world’s most impressive bridges, with iconic structures such as Scotland’s Queensferry Crossing, and the Humber and Tyne bridges. With a total of 3,680 bridges, they provide vital links between regions and cities across the country. Scotland alone boasts 577 bridges, one of which sparked public outrage due to the toll fees charged for its use.

This bridge quickly earned the title of the world’s most expensive, until the charges were eventually abolished. The Skye Bridge, which opened to the public on October 16, 1995, connects the island to the mainland, reports the Express.

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Construction began in 1992, led by Scottish company Miller, but the design was the work of German engineering firm DYWIDAG Systems International, in partnership with civil engineering company Arup.

The main structure is a concrete arch, supported by two piers, linking Skye to the small island of Eilean Bàn, with the remainder of the bridge extending level to the mainland.

Spanning a total distance of 1.5 miles, the main arch stands approximately 35m high, allowing a clearance of 30m for boats at high tide. The bridge offered a faster and more efficient route for locals to reach the mainland.

Before its construction, which cost an estimated £28 million, residents faced lengthy queues during the summer months for the ferry from Kyle of Lochalsh to Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye.

The decision to impose a toll for crossing the Skye Bridge, which escalated from a mere 40p to an eye-watering £11.40, sparked outrage among the public, earning it the title of Europe’s priciest bridge.

Locals often quipped: “The Skye Bridge – the only place in the world where you get mugged AND get a receipt!” Skye and Lochalsh residents didn’t take long to rally together, forming the protest group Skye Bridge Against Tolls or SKAT.

After relentless campaigning, the authorities finally caved to the pressure, scrapping the tolls on 21 December 2004.

Protesters alleged that the firm running the bridge had raked in over £33 million from tolls, dwarfing the bridge’s operational costs pegged at £3.5 million.

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Death Toll Nearing 151, With Thousands Displaced Following Deadly Mokwa Flood

No fewer than 115 persons have been reported killed after a devastating flood submerged several communities in Mokwa in Niger State, North-central Nigeria.

Communities are still struggling from the impact of the severe flooding, which is believed to have been triggered by torrential rainfall and structural failures in some areas. The disaster, which struck the region on the morning of Thursday, May 29, has claimed over 100 lives so far. Residents of the area told HumAngle that the death toll is nearing 150 even as officials work to rescue more victims.

The spokesperson of Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Ibrahim Audu Hussein, told newsmen that over 3000 houses were submerged. Eyewitnesses report entire neighbourhoods submerged, forcing people to abandon their homes in search of safety. 

“There are entire families that have been almost wiped out,” Farouk Mokwa, a resident of the community, told HumAngle. “There is a family of 12, and only one person is alive. There is another family of nine, and only two people have survived so far.”

Farouk himself lost his shop, which functioned as both a chemist and a stop for people looking to buy soft drinks. The shop contained three refrigerators and goods worth millions of naira, he said. 

Rescue teams and emergency responders are on the ground to locate missing persons and provide relief to affected residents. The flooding has also cut off major roads, complicating rescue efforts and making access to food and medical supplies difficult.

So far, displaced people have sought refuge in two primary schools in Mokwa, while those with relatives in unaffected communities have trooped there in search of cover.

Mokwa serves as a commercial hub in Nigeria’s north-central region and a key point for traders and farmers from the north to the south. 

In response, President Bola Tinubu has ordered swift intervention from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to support rescue operations. Residents also said the Deputy Governor had paid a visit to the area to assess the devastation.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had issued prior warnings of potential flash floods, urging residents to take precautions. 

Nigeria faces annual devastation due to heavy rainfall, which wreaks havoc on infrastructure and is made worse by inadequate drainage systems. In September 2024, HumAngle reported how torrential rains and a dam failure in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, led to severe flooding, claiming lives and displacing millions of residents.

Two months after the Maiduguri incident, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed that in 2024, Nigeria saw one of its worst floods in decades, with significant deaths leaving 1.3 million people affected across 34 out of 36 states.

Currently, the number of residents displaced by floods in Nigeria has reached 1.2 million, with over 1000 deaths, according to NEMA.

The worsening flood crises highlight the urgent need for improved drainage infrastructure and long-term disaster management strategies to protect vulnerable communities. As relief efforts continue, affected families are in dire need of temporary shelter, clean water, and essential supplies.

A catastrophic flood in Mokwa, North-central Nigeria, has resulted in over 115 fatalities and thousands displaced. Torrential rains and structural weaknesses caused the disaster, which has devastated communities since May 29. The flood submerged approximately 3,000 homes, leaving residents without shelter and complicating rescue efforts due to inaccessible major roads.

Amidst the crisis, President Bola Tinubu has instructed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to intervene, while local officials assess the damages. Prior warnings from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency about potential floods went unheeded. The ongoing disaster emphasizes the urgent need for effective drainage infrastructure and long-term disaster management plans to mitigate the effects of recurrent floods in Nigeria.

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Nigeria floods death toll crosses 150 as thousands displaced | Floods News

At least 3,018 people displaced and 265 houses destroyed in the floods in central Nigeria as more rains are feared.

More than 150 people have been killed and thousands displaced after floods devastated parts of central Nigeria, local authorities said, as rescue teams continue to recover bodies and search for the missing.

The flooding struck the rural town of Mokwa in Niger State following torrential rains that began late on Wednesday and continued into Thursday.

The death toll has risen to 151 after more bodies were recovered nearly 10km (6 miles) from Mokwa, said Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) on Saturday.

At least 3,018 people have been displaced, while 265 houses were “completely destroyed” in the floods, he said, adding that many victims were believed to have been swept down the Niger River, warning that the toll could still rise.

Map of Mokwa, Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu extended his condolences overnight and said search-and-rescue operations were ongoing with the support of Nigeria’s security forces.

“Relief materials and temporary shelter assistance are being deployed without delay,” he wrote in a post on social media.

“We lost everything, the families. We don’t have anywhere else to go, the property has gone,” Mohammed Tanko, a local, told Al Jazeera. “We lost at least 15 from this house.”

Another survivor said: “I escaped with only my nightdress. Right now, I can’t even identify where our home used to be.”

More rains feared

Meteorologists warn that more rain is expected in the coming days, raising fears of further flooding across the region.

Flooding is a regular threat during Nigeria’s six-month rainy season, but experts say the frequency and severity of these disasters are increasing due to climate change, unregulated construction, and poor drainage infrastructure.

“Flooding has become an annual event, between the months of April and October,” Ugonna Nkwunonwo, a flood risk analyst at the University of Nigeria, told Al Jazeera.

He warned that while flood risks have long been identified, “there has not been much political power to implement this change”.

“This flooding is a result of climate change, which is affecting the frequency and intensity of rainfall,” he said. “The amount of rain you expect in a year could probably come in one or two months, and people are not prepared for that kind of rainfall.”

Last year, more than 1,200 people died and up to two million were displaced by similar disasters across Nigeria.

“This tragic incident serves as a timely reminder of the dangers associated with building on waterways and the critical importance of keeping drainage channels and river paths clear,” the National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.

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