The death toll recorded in this year’s floodings in part of Bauchi State has increased to 13, with five additional dead bodies discovered in the State.
This was revealed by officials of the Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency, who disclosed that the additional dead bodies were discovered in Jama’are and Darazo Local Government Areas of the State.
According to one of the officials, four bodies were recovered in Jama’are LGA, while the remaining one was found in Darazo LGA, bringing the total death recorded so far this year to 13, with 24 persons sustaining varying degree of injuries in floodings recorded in 18 local government areas of the state.
DAILY POST learnt that of the 13 deaths recorded, five were from Jama’are LGA, three each in Gamawa and Toro LGAs, while Toro and Darazo LGAs had one death each.
While answering questions from journalists in Bauchi on Thursday, SEMA Coordinator, Dr Abubakar Umar Gabarin, confirmed that there were new deaths from flooding in the state, but was silent on the number.
“Initially we told you that the number of dead people is eight but we heard that some people died. We are still collecting information,” he said.
Flood ravages bridges, farmlands in Bauchi
Gabarin said that of the 24 injured people, some were treated and discharged, while few were still receiving treatment in hospitals across the state.
According to him, 2, 000 people were affected by floodings in which property worth N900, 319, 311 were affected, adding that a total of 1,600 houses were destroyed and over 5, 000 farmlands washed away.
He revealed that those who lost their lives to floods had been buried after due process was followed, adding that information was still being gathered with a view to ascertaining the actual number of those affected.
“Some of the affected settlements are hard to reach, while in some areas the bridges that linked the affected communities or culverts were washed away by the flood, and it is still raining,” he said.
The coordinator, however, appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Presidential Taskforce on Flood, philanthropists and donor agencies to come to the aid of the state government considering the magnitude of damages done by floods in the state so far.
On his part, the Agency’s Director, Research and Statistics, Adamu Nayola, who was also silent on the additional deaths recorded, said investigations and information gathering were ongoing, adding that accurate figures might be difficult for now as the rains were yet to stop for the year.
Nayola, however, advised people in the state to desist from building houses along waterways, as well as avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainages.
He further admonished people living in flood plains to relocate to higher grounds in order to avoid being flood victims annually.
Bauchi flood death toll rises to 13
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