No fewer than three persons have been killed in the Yala local government area of Cross River State following a heavy rainfall that fell with a thunderstorm and pulled down houses, leaving the victims dead.
The rain, which came with a thunderstorm, struck houses, pulling down trees and leaving the victims buried in the mud after many houses collapsed Tuesday night.
The windstorm also destroyed about 21 houses in the villages of Ezekwe, Okpodon and Wanokom, including killing three persons, two females and one male, when their houses fell on them.
The torrential rain was the first rainfall in the area since the beginning of this year.
The rain came with fierce wind and thunderstorms, which pulled down electricity poles and cables and flung off the rooftops of houses nearby.
Chairman of Yala local government area, Dr Fred Okem, described the incident as pathetic, considering the fact that the local government was trying to rehabilitate roads and assist the people with farm inputs for the farming season only for the disaster to occur.
The council chairman said, “In the past month, we have been rehabilitating roads, fixing water boreholes and distributing farm inputs to the people in expectation that when the rain falls, the farming period will kick off for them to plant their crops only for houses to be destroyed by a rain storm.”
Okem stated that the costs of roofing sheets have gone through the roof and people cannot afford them and many of those affected by the storm are currently sleeping in the open.
“Since the incident happened two days ago, those whose homes were destroyed are sleeping in the open with their children and the effect of
such is well known”‘
Okem called on state and federal federal government, public spirited individuals to assist the victims.
“We appeal to NEMA, SEMA, individuals and organisations to come to the aid of those affected to enable them rebuild their homes before the rains get too heavy making it impossible to build again”. He maintained.
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