Hundreds of residents in Kpandai in the Northern Region have been displaced after a violent rainstorm swept through the township on Sunday night, ripping off roofs, destroying properties, and halting academic activities in parts of the district capital.
The storm, accompanied by strong winds, tore through homes, schools and shops, flattening weak structures and leaving families stranded overnight.
“I was inside with my grandchildren when the roof collapsed. It started raining inside the room, so I rushed the children to a relative’s house.
We survived, but I will need help to rebuild,” one victim said.
Fati Biyaw, a 72-year-old grandmother, said the devastation came as a shock.
“We were at work when it happened.
When we returned, everything was in water.
The roof was gone, and our belongings were destroyed.
We had to sleep at a friend’s house,” she recounted.
A young businessman who had just completed a container shop said he invested about GH¢25,000 into the structure — only for it to be destroyed the same day.
“We had just finished the electrical connections when the storm struck.
Starting again will be very difficult,” he lamented.
The storm also hit the education infrastructure hard.
The New Nkanchina D/A Junior High School had parts of its structure ripped off, forcing a temporary halt to classes.
The Headmaster, Simon Kwaku Dordo, appealed to the Kpandai District Assembly, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and the Member of Parliament to urgently support the school.
Preliminary assessments
He said final-year students preparing for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) risk disruption if the damaged classrooms are not quickly re-roofed.
The Deputy Director of NADMO in charge of Administration in Kpandai, Muwa Mark, said preliminary assessments show that more than 100 houses were either partially or completely destroyed, displacing hundreds of families.
He said the officials are still gathering data to facilitate the provision of relief items to affected households and assured residents of maximum support.
Mr Mark also cautioned residents against building in waterways and advised the use of durable materials to withstand extreme weather.
For now, many affected families are taking refuge with relatives, friends, and in mosques and other public spaces as they await support.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh