By Duku Joel, Damaturu and Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja
A late downpour yesterday cut off the Damaturu/Buni Yadi/Biu Highway at the Katarko Bridge just 22km away from Damaturu, the state capital.
The development left the State Emergency Management Agency helpless as officials sought to deliver relief materials to residents of flooded Mutai community.
The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (YOSEMA), in a flood alert on his verified social media handles, announced that the Katarko Bridge has been totally cut off as floodwater washed out the road linking the bridge.
Katarko bridge is one of the strategic bridges along the Damaturu/Buni Yadi/Biu road. It links the southern part of Borno, Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba states.
In July 2014, the bridge was destroyed when Boko Haram insurgents attacked it.
The statement reads:
“Katarko Bridge disconnected due to heavy rain, resulting in flooding.
“In the early hours of 30th August 2022, Yobe SEMA received the sad news of Katarko Bridge being disconnected from the main road. This is the bridge linking Damaturu to Gujba, Gulani and Biu LGAs.
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“Already there are incidents of flooding in Mutai, Buni Yadi and Gulani communities which call for major concerns especially in Mutai. Yobe SEMA has already reached out to the military to provide a barricade in Katarko as civilians are trooping to the scene to avoid any casualties.
“While this may affect the immediate life-saving support to communities already affected by flood and or recovering from conflict, Yobe State Government is providing alternative routes to reach persons in need as well as reconnect the affected communities.”
No fewer than 115 persons died among the 500,000 affected by flooding across the country this year.
The Presidency, which provided the data yesterday evening, also said President Muhammadu Buhari has been receiving regular updates on the disasters.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the unfortunate development has again highlighted the need for the states and council areas to scale up their own part of the responsibility to prepare the people for emergency situations.
“Since January this year flooding has been reported in Lagos, Yobe, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Edo, Delta, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Ebonyi, Anambra, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Imo, Abia States and the Federal Capital Territory, affecting 508,721 people.
“The destructive floods have displaced 73,379 people, 115 casualties, and injured 277 people.
“The floods and heavy rain have left around 37, 633 houses destroyed or severely damaged, according to latest data made available to the Presidency from the relevant Federal Government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDA).
“President Muhammadu Buhari is receiving regular updates on the flood situation in the country, which has affected over 500,000 Nigerians since January this year,” the statement said.