Nine die in Gombe state's worst floods in 15 years

Nine people were killed by flash floods in northeastern Nigeria at the weekend and several hundred were made homeless as drains overflowed and buildings collapsed in Gombe, the capital of Gombe state, officials said on Monday. "The rains started midnight on Friday and continued for over 12 hours," state government spokesman Mohammed Ahmed Pindiga told IRIN. "Nine people died as a result and several hundred were left homeless." He described the floods as the worst in more than 15 years and said blocked drains had played a fatal role. "The way some people build their houses over drains, blocking gutters, and flout building regulations meant that it was only a matter of time," Pindiga said. "We have set up a committee to render first aid assistance to the people and we expect that the federal government will come to our aid very soon," he added. Officials said that people left homeless in the city of nearly 250,000 people were being housed in schools, churches, mosques and police stations. Musa Abdullahi, a resident in one of the worst affected districts of the city recalled how the water poured into his home. "I was sleeping when the rain started and it woke me up when water gushed into my house. I moved what I could and took my wife and daughter to safety at a nearby school," he told IRIN. August and September are traditionally the wettest months of the year in northern Nigeria. Ten days ago, floods engulfed three villages in neighbouring Adamawa state, killing at least 28 people and making 500 families homeless.