Dam collapse in Nigeria sweeps deadly zoo reptiles into flooded communities

People walk through floodwaters following a dam collapse in Maiduguri, Nigeria (Joshua Olatunji/AP)

A dam has collapsed in northeastern Nigeria, unleashing severe flooding that prompted evacuations and swept deadly reptiles from a zoo into communities in the area, local officials and a zoo manager said.

The collapse of the Alau dam in the state of Borno caused some of the state’s worst flooding since the same dam collapsed 30 years ago, and prompted many residents to flee their homes.