3,000 displaced, death toll hits 47 in Jos

Nine more bodies were recovered on Tuesday, taking
the death toll from Sunday evening's floods in
Rikkos, Gangere and Angwan Rogo areas of Jos North
to 47, as the number of displaced persons hit 3,000.
The development came as Abdlahamadu Maikusa,
who escaped death by a whisker, lost 10 members of
his extended family to the flood.
Acting Zonal Coordinator for North Central of the
National Emergency Management Agency, Mr.
Mohammed Abdulsalam, told our correspondent in
an interview in Jos that the nine bodies were pulled
out of the rubble of caved in buildings on Monday
evening.
Abdulsalam said more casualities would have been
recorded if some residents had not relocated to the
homes of friends in other parts of the local
government. He also said over 200 houses were
destroyed.
He said, "So far we have 47 persons confirmed dead
and about 36 still missing. We have over 3,000
people in displaced camps and the immediate
concern is to give them some comfort by providing
relief materials."
The NEMA chief added that searches were still on to
find those reported missing by their families.
Meanwhile, there are fears of a possible cholera
outbreak within the area affected by floods.
A medical official of the Federation of Muslim Women
Association in Nigeria in the state, Tawa
Abdulrahama, told our correspondent in Jos that no
fewer than 65 persons in various camps were being
treated for dysentery and diarrhoea.
"There are already high cases of cholera among
victims of the flood," she said.
Head of Rescue, Jama'atu Nasiril Islam, Alhaji Sabo
Shuibu, said the group had buried 30 persons who
died during the flood.
Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural
Development, Mallam Idi Waziri, who led a delegation
to assess the level of damage done by the disaster,
said the government would support the victims.
On his part, spokesman for the Council of Ulama
Elders, Faruk Musa, said a majority of those
displaced were in dire need of medication,
accommodation and food.
He also said 327 houses were washed away, with
several others badly damaged.
The Red Cross Society said four bodies were
recovered from the debris of collapsed structures.
Head of Red Cross in Plateau, Mr. Manasseh Panpeh,
told the News Agency of Nigeria, "Many of the
deceased were discovered in the rubble and banks of
Rikkos River in the course of our search for missing
persons.''
Maikusa, who survived the disaster, told our
correspondent that eight children, including a three-
month-old baby and her mother, were among 10
members of his family killed in the flood.
He said, "I give glory to Allah for saving my life."
Maikusa said they were sleeping in their homes when
the flood swept them away, adding that he had yet to
come to terms how he escaped.