LAGOS - 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 on Sunday.
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 October 16, 2022," said Humanitarian Affairs Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq.
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, said the minister.
The flooding also completely destroyed more than 82,000 houses and nearly 110,000 hectares of farmland, said Umar Farouq.
While the rainy season usually begins around June, the rainfall had been particularly heavy since August, said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
In 2012, 363 people died and more than 2.1 million were displaced by flooding.