A dam collapsed in northeastern Nigeria on Tuesday, causing severe flooding that led to evacuations and sent deadly reptiles from a zoo into local communities. The Alau dam in Borno state, already at full capacity due to unusually heavy rainfall, experienced one of the worst floods since it last collapsed 30 years ago. Residents were forced to flee as about 15% of Maiduguri, the state capital, was submerged. The current death toll from the flooding has not yet been reported.
At the Borno State Museum Park, approximately 80% of the zoo’s animals were killed in the flood, and an unspecified number of reptiles, including crocodiles and snakes, escaped into the surrounding communities. The zoo’s general manager, Ali Abatcha Don Best, reported that these dangerous animals have been washed into local areas, heightening the threat to residents.
In response to the disaster, local authorities have issued a flood alert and ordered the evacuation of residents living near riverbanks. Borno’s commissioner for information and internal security, Usman Tar, announced that all schools in the state would close for the next two weeks. The dam collapse has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis in Borno, which has been plagued by Boko Haram insurgency.
