…Japan typhoon death toll climbs to 74, rescuers search for missing people***
Mr Ibrahim Inga, the Director General, Niger State Emergency
Management Agency (NSEMA), on Wednesday said the 2019 floods destroyed 2,714
houses and claimed 10 lives in the state.
Inga disclosed this when he appeared before the Niger State
House of Assembly to brief it on the agency’s activities in 2019.
He said that a total of 21, 223 people were affected by the disaster in 20 local government areas with 123 communities submerged.
“The floods, which began in August as a result of a
localised high intensity rainfall accompanied by torrential winds, triggered
massive run off activities in streams and rivers.
“These violent river behaviours resulted in loss of 10 lives
with some roads, bridges, culverts and residential buildings badly affected by
the force of the water.
“These excess waters have inundated several hectares of farmlands and displaced some dwellers in hinterland communities,” he added.
Also read:Flood drowns Gas retailer, throwing Magboro residents into mourning
He said the agency could not sufficiently respond to the
disaster as it had exhausted its N200m capital budget for 2019 before the
flooding season.
“The agency may not have responded with relief interventions
due to the reasons mentioned but had acted within the conduct of the above
assessment exercise.
“In view of the above therefore, the agency has requested
for an emergency supplementary budget wallet,” he said.
According to him, in addition to its assessment exercise,
the agency has forwarded request for assistance in favour of the victims from
donor partners.
In the meantime, rescue workers in Japan continued the
search for the missing on Wednesday as the death toll from one of the worst
typhoons to hit the country rose to 74, public broadcaster, NHK, said.
Also many drowned by flooding after scores of rivers burst
their banks.
Public broadcaster, NHK, said 12 were missing and more than
220 injured after Typhoon Hagibis lashed through the Japanese archipelago at
the weekend.
Throughout the eastern half of the main island of Honshu, 52
rivers had flooded over.
Residents in Fukushima prefecture, which has seen the highest number of
casualties, were busy dumping water-damaged furniture and rubbish onto the
streets.
Many elderly remained in evacuation centers, unable to clean
up their homes.
In Date city, not far from the site of the nuclear disaster
in 2011, farmer Masao Hirayama piled damp books in the street in front of his
house, adding to a mound of rubbish from the neighbourhood.
He said the water had reached about two meters (6.6 feet)
deep in his house when he and his son were rescued by boat and taken to an
evacuation center.
His wife and grandchildren had stayed with relatives through
the storm.
“I feel down,” Hirayama, 70, said, adding that the flood had
swept away all his green houses and farming equipment. “All that is left is the
land.”
Hirayama said he had rebuilt his house in 1989, raising the
ground level following a flood in 1986.
His family plan to live on the second floor until he can
make repairs, which he reckons could take three months.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government would spend
710 million yen ($6.5 million) to facilitate disaster relief.
-Reuters