KANO:Since the start of the rainy season sometime in July, at least 68 people have reportedly perished in floods that have been reported in the states of Kano and Jigawa.

According to a breakdown of the casualties, Dr. Haruna Mairiga of the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency reported that there were 37 deaths, while Executive Secretary of the Kano State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Isyaku Kubarachi, put the number of casualties recorded in the state at 31.

In addition to injuring 135 people, Kubarachi verified this to reporters in Kano. The flood devastated roughly 156 settlements spread over 21 local government areas in the state.

He added that 5,280 dwellings were destroyed by the flood, affecting 31,818 people and displacing 313 others.

In a related development, Dr. Haruna Mairiga, the Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency, stated over the phone with Vanguard that the state’s death toll from the flooding caused by the heavy downpour has now reached 37.

In addition, 15,000 people were displaced by the flood, according to Dr. Mairiga, and 12,000 hectares of farmed farmland were wiped away.

According to him, 17 councils out of the state’s 27 LGAs were impacted by the flood.

He stated, “We are not even in the heart of the rainy season, but we have been having flooding since July. Of the 27 LGAs that comprise Jigawa State, 17 of them have floods on record.

“The flood has claimed 37 lives, displaced 15,000 people, and they are currently seeking shelter in our schools thanks to blankets and bedding provided by the government.”