Sharjah24 - WAM: More than 600 people are now known to have perished in the worst floods in a decade in Nigeria, according to a new toll released Sunday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
The disaster had also forced more than 1.3 million from their homes, said a statement by Nigeria's ministry of humanitarian affairs, released on Twitter.
"Unfortunately, over 603 lives have been lost as of today,16th October, 2022," Humanitarian Affairs Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq said.
The previous toll from last week stood at 500, but the numbers had risen in part because some state governments had not prepared for the floods, the Minister further said.
The flooding also completely destroyed more than 82,000 houses and nearly 110,000 hectares (272,000 acres) of farmland, Farouq added.
While the rainy season usually begins around June, the rainfall had been particularly heavy since August, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said.
Minister Farouq called for the evacuation of people living on riverbanks that face a high risk of rising water levels.
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