A man from Nigeria named Adamu Yusuf is heartbroken after losing nine of his family members in Tiffin Maza, one of two communities in his town worst hit by floods in the north-central area of the country.
The 36-year-old father-of-one said his wife and newborn baby were part of those washed away in floods early on Thursday morning in Niger state.
“She was the one that woke me up when the flood hit, and I quickly gathered the family and told everyone to hold one another. As we stepped outside, we saw water everywhere in our living room and the compound. They panicked and we got disconnected,” he stated.
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Only a day prior to the flood, his wife and baby had just returned to the town of Mokwa, after having stayed at his in-laws’ house for a few weeks following the birth of the child.
“I watched helplessly as water washed away my family. I survived because I could swim. It was God that saved me,” Mr Adamu said.
Per local officials, the death toll has risen to more than 500 on Monday as authorities look to devise strategies to mitigate the effects of floods of this sort from causing a dire impact on Nigeria.
Also, about 500 people are missing per the BBC, who indicated that rescue efforts had stopped due to thoughts of authorities believing victims may be already dead.
In the Tiffin Maza community on Saturday, the mood was one of grief, despair and loss.
Footage showed scattered clothes, soaked mattresses and crushed metal roofing sheets as some of the last remains of what are now loads of destroyed houses.
The harsh impact of the floods is there for all to see, with roofs washed off and parts of several buildings destroyed.
Mr Adamu stood on a blue tiled floor, which was the only thing that pointed to where his bedroom once was, as he gazed upon the vast empty space that has replaced his community.
“I lost everything to this flood. But the most painful thing is that of my family. The only valuable thing I have now is this cloth I am wearing which was even given to me by my friend.”
According to reports, the water has now receded, and on Saturday, residents gathered to offer condolences to the victims and also lend a hand in the search efforts.
