14 Killed in Flooding in Nigeria
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LAGOS, Nigeria — Thousands of people were left homeless and at least 14 people were killed after torrential rains washed away homes and caused two dams to break along a river in northern Nigeria, officials said.
Dozens of others were missing, said Dahiru Adamu Danhassan, chairman of the Kuru local government council in Kano state, about 120 miles north of the capital, Abuja.
Rains that started Monday have washed away thatched mud houses in at least eight villages and caused two dams on the Wudil River to break, officials said.
Many homes in the city of Wudil, where tens of thousands were living, were flooded, and residents were taking shelter in schools and other public buildings on higher ground.
Kano Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso ordered residents to evacuate the hardest-hit area and promised to rebuild villages there.
Seasonal rains devastate hundreds of villages every year in Nigeria, where dams are often poorly managed by the government.
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