29 die in Central Nigeria floods

At least 39 people have died in flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the central Nigerian city of Jos, a Red Cross official said Tuesday. The torrential rains, which began on Sunday, caused rivers and a crucial dam to overflow. The water submerged houses, leaving many people homeless. "So far, 39 bodies have been recovered. They are mainly children and teenagers. Quite a number of people are still reported missing," Nwankpa O Nwankpa from the local Red Cross told dpa. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 21 bodies had been discovered, and declared 35 people as missing. NEMA spokesman Yushua Shuaib said rescue operations would continue in an effort to locate those missing. "(Survivors) of the disaster have been provided with relief materials and temporary settlement," Shuaib said. In 2011, more than 30 people were killed in southern Nigeria when a bridge collapsed due to heavy rainfall.