Water from a burst dam in northern Nigeria has left 1 000 families homeless, but about 40 people earlier feared dead have been found alive, said the state governor on Sunday.
Local media had reported Zamfara state governor Ahmed Sani saying at least 40 people had died after heavy rainfall swelled the reservoir to critical levels, causing the dam to collapse and send a barrelling through villages.
“All those missing were later found safe and alive,” said Sani.
“We have more than 1 000 families affected and property worth more than 3bn naira, but there is no loss of life.”
The reservoir was the main source of drinking water for Zamfara state capital, Gusau.
The original report was as follows:
Dam collapse floods town
01/10/2006 10:36 – (SA)
Lagos – At least 40 people died when a dam collapsed near Gusau, capital of Zamfara state in northern Nigeria, the Nigerian news agency NAN reported late on Saturday.
The agency said about 500 houses in Gusau were swept away by the waters.
Authorities refused to speculate on the causes of the collapse of the dam, but according to NAN staff had been unable to open the floodgates after the water level reached crisis point on Friday following torrential rains.
State governor Alhaji Ahmed Sani was on the scene but refused to make any statement.