2006 Gusau dam collapse

The 2006 Gusau dam collapse was a disaster that occurred on Saturday, September 30 2006 when a dam collapsed on the outskirts of Gusau, Nigeria after heavy flooding. 40 people were killed and approximately 500 homes were destroyed, displacing 1,000 people. It occurred after the heaviest downpour ever recorded in the area, which had fallen for the previous two days. In addition to lost and damaged houses, large amounts of farmland that was almost due to be harvested was devastated and hundreds of livestock were killed. As well as the dam, a bridge linking the city to the northern part of Zamfara State. Around 700 people were temporarily sheltered in a nearby secondary school in the village of Birnin Ruwa, where assistance was provided by the Red Cross. Drinking water wells were polluted by the floodwater. The accident occurred after sluice gates failed to function, causing the water to overwhelm the dam, says the operator, the Zamfara Water Board. The dam suplied water to Gusau.

References

* [http://www.dawn.com/2006/10/02/int1.htm 40 killed in Nigerian dam collapse -DAWN - International; October 02, 2006]
* [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55814&SelectRegion=West_Africa NIGERIA: Dozens still missing after dam collapse]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5396176.stm „Burst dam destroys Nigeria homes“] , October 1, 2006