Four injured in building collapse at Salaga

At least four persons were injured and are currently being treated at a government hospital after a house collapsed on them in the East Gonja district capital in Salaga in the Northern region.

The incident followed heavy rains Saturday night, victims and a local journalist have confirmed to Starr News.

Sources told Starr News that as the structure collapsed, the people living inside it were trapped under the debris and were aided by neighbors. They are now receiving treatment at the Salaga government hospital.

The heavy rains have also flooded many homes displacing more than 500 residents. Utility poles have been toppled and many structures devastated causing occupants drifting to stay with friends and associates.

Local officials of National Disaster Management Organization embarking on rapid assessment mission told Starr News the rains started at 11:30 pm and poured overnight into Sunday morning.

Houses are submerged in flood waters and several properties destroyed. Many communities in the district have been cut off, also rendering the Salaga-Kpandai road inaccessible, the officials added.

Families stood awake all night gathering and sweeping away waters that invaded their rooms.

A victim, identified as Shawana carried a little girl trying to take her to safety while a neighbor busily scooped water that flooded their room.

She told Starr News: “we are displaced, we don’t know where to sleep. We stood all night with our children: we didn’t sleep. The government should help. We need urgent help. All our belongings are gone”.

Officers of the disaster management body were still assessing the situation and are expected to compile report seeking for relief items for the victims.

However, in a related development, residents of Kunyevila in the Sagnarigu district have begun deserting their houses after authorities failed to fix a bridge that causes homes to flood during raining moments.

The incident happened less than two weeks after a similar incident caused three fatalities and destroyed many assets in the regional capital and the district.

More than five families left their homes early Sunday morning after an hour rains yesterday ravaged a bridge linking the community to others and causing several people to be stranded.

An elderly woman was killed last year when the bridge broke up and swept her into a deep gutter after a torrential rainfall.

The state of the bridge have been a source of worry to many residents in the area including authorities of the Business Senior High School who had been calling on the district assembly to fix it