Cablegate: Weekend Disasters Result in Death and Displacement

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

091720Z Sep 03

UNCLAS ABUJA 001575

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV NI
SUBJECT: WEEKEND DISASTERS RESULT IN DEATH AND DISPLACEMENT

REF: OPCENTER TELCON 9/9/03

1. Two major vehicle accidents with several fatalities
occurred on Nigeria's poorly maintained roads over the
weekend. In Bauchi State, a bus flipped off the highway
killing 23 of its 24 passengers on September 6. Then on
September 7, a four-vehicle pileup south of Abuja including
more than one intercity bus resulted in at least 70 deaths,
possibly as many as 100. Accidents of this nature occur
almost weekly somewhere in the country, as overloaded and
poorly maintained vehicles drive at often excessive speeds
over bad roads with numerous potholes, poor lighting, and
occasional flooding.

2. Recent heavy downpours in northern Nigeria over the past
two weeks have caused extensive flooding, and local and
international media have reported tens of thousands of
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The flooding is
concentrated along the Kaduna River which flows through
several states in north-central Nigeria. As the rains
continue, the number of IDPs grows. Continued flooding
September 7 resulted in several hundred homeless in Kano
State and possibly several thousand in Kaduna State. All
affected state governments have responded with varying
measures to assist the populace and have also called on
Nigeria's Federal Government to assist.
MEECE

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