2 September 2011Last updated at 16:04

Nigeria's Oyo state floods in pictures

Flooded neighbourhood in Ibadan, Nigeria. Photo taken on 27 October 2011

Water levels in Nigeria's Oyo state have begun to recede, leaving a trail of ruin and despair, especially in its capital, Ibadan, home to more than one million people.

The torrential rains caused a dam to burst, killing more than 120 people. The BBC's Jonah Fisher saw a grave containing the bodies of eight young children.

Residents say the floodwaters came quickly in the middle of the night, leaving them little time to flee their homes before they were destroyed.

Communications have also been damaged as several bridges were destroyed. Our reporter says people are now starting to ask whether anything could have been done differently and whether people should have been living so close to flood-prone waterways and whether drainage systems were blocked.

Men carrying supplies at a provisional camp in Ibadan

Officials have been scrambling to provide medicine, food and other relief supplies.

The Nigerian Red Cross has been setting up provisional camps to assist the victims. They estimate than more than 2,000 people have been left homeless.

Some people have been reluctant to move to the camps because they do not know how long they are likely to be there.

Others, however, have found shelter in the camps.

Africa

Nigeria's Oyo state floods in pictures

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