Sharjah24 – AFP: About 500 people have died in Nigeria's worst floods in a decade and 1.4 million others been displaced from their homes since the start of the rainy season, the government said.

Floods caused by abundant rains and poor infrastructure have affected vast swathes of Africa's most populous country sparking fears they could worsen food insecurity and inflation.

Nigeria's Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs said Tuesday that "over 1.4 million persons were displaced, about 500 persons have been reported dead... and 1,546 persons were injured".

"Similarly, 45,249 houses were totally damaged... while 70,566 hectares of farmlands were completely destroyed," added the statement from the ministry's Deputy Director Information, Rhoda Ishaku Iliya.

National Emergency Management Agency spokesman Manzo Ezekiel told AFP on Wednesday the latest figures were from last weekend.

While the rainy season usually begins around June, most deaths and displacements started "around August and September" Ezekiel added.

Fuel scarcity caused long queues at petrol stations in the capital Abuja this week after tankers were blocked by floods in neighbouring states.

In southern Anambra state, 76 people died when a boat capsized  last Friday during flooding of the Niger River.

More abundant rains are expected in the coming weeks and months -- the rainy season typically ends in November in northern states and in  December in the south.

Until Thursday, "heavy rainfall is anticipated over parts of Taraba, Ebonyi, Benue and Cross Rivers State," the  Meteorological Agency said on Facebook, adding that "flash flooding is likely".

Floods were also caused by the release of water from several damns, a process that was meant to prevent excessive flooding.