Heavy rains in Nigeria kill at least 21

Heavy rains in Nigeria kill at least 21
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria - At least 21 people were killed in north central Nigeria on Thursday when their homes were destroyed by heavy rains and nearly a dozen were missing, the local emergency agency said.
Ibrahim Hussaini, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency told Reuters that 50 houses were submerged in water in two communities in the state.
"Twenty-one bodies have so far been recovered in the incident, while over 10 persons were still missing as the search and rescue operation continued," Hussaini told Reuters.
Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Straits Times

3 hours ago

• Straits Times

Earthquake of magnitude 5.4 strikes near coast of Ecuador, GFZ says

Earthquake of magnitude 5.4 strikes near coast of Ecuador, GFZ says GUAYAQUIL - A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck near the coast of Ecuador on Saturday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake was at a depth of 44 km (27.34 miles), GFZ said. The tremor was felt in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city by population, though there were no immediate reports of damage. Key city systems were operating normally and inspections were ongoing to ensure public safety, the mayor of Guayaquil, Aquiles Alvarez, said in a post on social media. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Straits Times

13 hours ago

• Straits Times

Thunderstruck: After heat, Club World Cup weathers storms and threat of lightning

From stifling heat to thunderstorms, the Club World Cup has been at the mercy of the extremes of the American summer, with the threat of lightning now forcing players to retreat to the tunnels while fans seek shelter as matches are suddenly halted. While soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity initially fuelled concerns among players and fans, it is the crackling skies and pouring rain that have emerged as the tournament's most disruptive forces. Friday's match in Orlando between Benfica and Auckland City was suspended after halftime for nearly two hours due to a lightning storm in the area. At the same venue on Tuesday, fans had barely settled into their seats when the referee ordered Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns to return to the dressing rooms, with the match delayed for more than an hour due to the threat of lightning. Cincinnati witnessed an even longer interruption when a severe thunderstorm suspended Red Bull Salzburg's clash with Pachuca for more than 90 minutes. Palmeiras and Al Ahly saw their contest in New Jersey halted for 50 minutes due to lightning near MetLife Stadium. "Your attention please. For your safety, we are going to have everyone leave the Seating Bowl area and take shelter inside the stadium because of severe weather in the area," said a safety message flashed on the big screens in the arena. "Event staff are available to guide and assist you. Those on the field, please walk calmly to the nearest tunnel... or to the service corridor." THREAT OF LIGHTNING Heavy rain is often the X-factor for the home side on a cold, wet night in Stoke -- which lends itself to the famous English soccer cliche -- but the same cannot be said in the United States. According to the country's National Weather Service (NWS), 75% of lightning-related deaths in the last decade occurred from June to August. Meteorological challenges are nothing new but with the combination of sweltering humidity followed by electrical storms, the simple yet stark warning from the NWS rings particularly true -- "When thunder roars, go indoors!" Tournament organisers FIFA have weather protocols in place to ensure the safety of those on the pitch and in the stands. If there is lightning within 10 miles (16.09 km) of the stadium, an automatic match suspension is triggered. The match director is informed, who in turn asks the referee to stop play. The storm is monitored before players are called back out, with the warm-up time before the restart dictated by the time they spent off the pitch. Fans are also asked to leave the stands and find shelter in the concourse, with one source saying the stadiums had the capacity to keep them inside until the storm passed. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Straits Times

2 days ago

• Straits Times

China warns of extensive flooding after heavy rains

Rescue workers evacuate residents stranded by floodwaters with a boat, following heavy rainfall in Huaiji county, Guangdong province, China on June 18, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS BEIJING - Chinese authorities have warned of flash floods and swift currents in mountainous areas in the eastern, central, southern and south-western regions of the country after heavy rains there. The red alerts, the first for 2025, were issued late on June 19 covering areas in the provinces of Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou and Guangxi region, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing the water resources ministry and national weather forecaster China Meteorological Administration. China is experiencing heavy and sudden rain in many parts, which meteorologists have attributed to climate change, leaving its huge population vulnerable to related disasters. In southern Hunan, heavy rainfall triggered the largest floods since 1998 in the upper and lower reaches of the Lishui River after its water levels breached the safety mark by more than 2m on June 19. In the hilly metropolis of south-western Chongqing, apartment blocks were submerged in muddy waters and some vehicles were swept away in flood waters gushing down streets, according to state broadcaster CCTV's footage and images from June 19. An image showed flood waters almost reaching the top of power cable lines. Water and power supply were also disrupted in some areas, CCTV said. Nearly 300 people were evacuated from towns and villages in Pengshui county, where cumulative daily rainfall had reached 304mm, and floods were made worse by precipitation from the mountains converging into the Ditang River which had swollen by 19m, according to CCTV. The water in several other rivers in Chongqing had also exceeded alert levels due to the extreme rainfall, Xinhua said. On June 18, power supply was disrupted in the city of Zhaoqing in southern Guangdong Province as floodwaters rose more than five metres above warning levels, breaking historical records, local media reported. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.