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WEATHER: More than a hundred dead after heavy rains in Nigeria

Floods caused by heavy rains killed 102 people in south-western Nigeria where a dam collapsed, said on Wednesday told AFP an official of the Nigerian Red Cross.

"(...) The current balance is 102 dead," said Umar Mairiga, coordinator of disaster management for the Nigerian Red Cross, noting that a dam had collapsed over the weekend after intense rainfall.

"Heavy rains have battered for more than seven hours" in a row in Ibadan, a major university town located about 140 km north of the city of Lagos, he said.

Dam Eleyele "collapsed, several bridges have collapsed," saidMairiga, explaining that the collapse of the dam was the main cause of flooding.

Some residents have been "washed away after the collapse of their buildings, others trying to get away," he said.

A national agency responsible for emergency relief (Nema) had previously explained that the water pipes in the city, filled with waste, did not allow a normal flow.

Seven to eight of the eleven districts that were affected account Ibadan, displacing many residents, saidMairiga.

"We have over 80 families (staying) in a primary school", while others moved left the temporary shelters set up especially with relatives or family.

Relief agencies regionally and nationally distributed emergency supplies such as blankets and mattresses and food to affected populations, according to Mr. Mairiga, who said that the Nigerian Red Cross was trying to identify the most vulnerable.

Every year during the rainy season (April to September), severe flooding in Nigeria. But officials have warned against rainfall particularly strong this year.

In July, 20 people died in Lagos after heavy rains.In June, floods in an area of ​​Kano, the main town in the north have killed 24 people.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with 150 million inhabitants. Its main cities are overcrowded, with much needed infrastructure.

Half a million people were displaced by floods last year, in ten states of the federation.