by Olatunji Saliu

ABUJA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to 62 in Nigeria's northwestern state of Katsina where floods caused by heavy rain since July 15 have wreaked havoc, local authorities said on Monday.

More bodies were recovered from the rubble of a collapsed building in the town of Jibia where a rescue operation had earlier led to the recovery of 52 people, with most of the victims being women and children, said Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, the Emir of Katsina.

Usman said the 1o decomposed bodies had been buried.

"The 10 people were discovered when the people of the area started experiencing heavy smell coming from the collapsed building," the emir said.

More than 500 houses were destroyed by the flood which swept through five villages in Jibia on July 15, causing the displacement of at least 5,000, according to government data.

At least 24 people were wounded and hospitalized due to the incident.

Emir Usman said many of the victims, who were traders, had lost their capital and means of livelihood to the disaster.

The State Emergency Management Agency said 24 of the victims were washed away to two villages in neighboring Niger.

As of last week, 20 more bodies were being searched for, said Aminu Waziri, head of the state's rescue team.

State governor Aminu Masari said following the heavy rainfall, water from the main river in the area moved in a reverse direction and came back to Jibia town, causing the flooding.

Most of the victims have been relocated to a makeshift camp at a local school in the area, with the national relief agency providing support to victims.

Last Thursday, the Nigerian government approved some coordinated efforts to curb the incessant flooding that has affected other regions in the country.

The government said a new department has been established to identify locations for critical actions and realistic cost estimates and implement the national flood prevention, mitigation, and preparedness program.