Hundreds of people have been found dead in Borno town of Damasak in North-East Nigeria, apparently victims of the Boko Haram insurgency, an AFP report has said.

The decomposing bodies littering the streets of Damasak included those of women and children, the report said.

It quoted local resident Kaumi Kusur as saying that the grim find in Damasak “far outnumbered” that of about 100 bodies found in a mass grave under a bridge after the town was liberated in early March by Chadian forces.

“Dead bodies were found in houses, streets and many more in the Damasak River which has dried up,” Kusur reportedly said, adding the victims were buried in 20 mass graves at the weekend.

Mohammed Sadiq, another local who helped in the burials on Saturday, put the death toll at more than 400 but the Borno State Government did not state a precise figure, giving a toll of “hundreds”, according to the report.

“The victims had been covered by sand from the encroaching desert, with the burial ordered by the state authorities, which are looking at the return of thousands of people displaced by the violence,” AFP said.

•Photo shows Boko Haram insurgents.