Hundreds displaced,150 houses torn down by rainstorm in Zebilla

A rainstorm that swept through the Bawku West district in the Upper East Region last Sunday left over 150 houses destroyed and more than 300 residents displaced. Among the wrecked structures were Kukuruzua Junior High School, Kansoogo and some other schools.

Also about 15 electricity poles were vandalized by the storm on stretch between Zebilla and Kansoogo. Some buildings collapsed while others had their roof taken off.

Such destructive storms are common in Bawku West district less than 30km from the Northern province border of Burkina Faso. Millions of properties are lost annually to storms.

Moses Adukpam, the District Coordinator of National Disaster Management Organization and his officials toured the area, and later told 3news.com the storm glided over the town at about 7:30pm Sunday night.

The coordinator added that an inspection was currently underway to determine extent of damage caused by the storm.

“We are still going round taking records of the houses and so far we have counted more than 150 houses”, Mr. Moses said, adding that while some of the affected are staying with relatives others are still staying in their partly ravaged buildings.

He called for support from the central government and other institutions to assist the victims because they are in an emergency situation.

Meanwhile students from the affected schools have also appealed to government to urgently go to their aid before schools reopen.