A Jos resident, Abdulramid Useni, is grief stricken after he lost seven children in the flood that swept through Gangere, a community in the Jos North local govenrment area.

“My world is finished. Where do I start from?” the mourning father said.

He and his family were asleep when the disastrous flood happened.

He said, “All of us were sleeping. I, my wife and our 12 children were sleeping in the house when all of a sudden, there was this sudden surge of flood which took over our house. Before we could do anything, the house collapsed and the flood swept all of us away, including the house.

“I was able to survive because I clung to a pole. It was a matter of life and death as I was there until the flood subsided.”

Useni has found the bodies of six of his children, but is yet to locate the remains of the seventh.

His wife and five other children are safe and escaped harm. They are now taking refuge at a camp for displaced people in Rikkos.

Authorities say the rain was caused by heavy rains which caused an overflow from the River Rikkos. The rains started at about 7:15 p.m. and got heavier by 9:30 p.m.

Community Leader of Gangere, Gudu Usman-Ali, said no fewer than 38 people have been killed in the floods, 200 homes were destroyed.

Mahmud said, “We were in the mosque when the calamity started. The rain just started washing away houses and carrying people, some of whom were asleep.”

He said the floods overran three districts of Rikkos Tudun, Gangere and Angwan Rogo. The community leader adds that more residents are still missing and called on the government to hasten rescue efforts.