Northern Region floods 'unprecedented' – Minister

Deputy Northern regional Minister Solomon Boah has described as unprecedented the heavy downpour that occurred in Tamale resulting in the entire city getting flooded.

According to him, the region has for a long time not witnessed that kind of rainfall and flooding as happened on July 25.

The rain, which started at 11am, left several suburbs of the Tamale metropolis and some other settlements in the Sagnarigu district submerged.

A 59-year-old woman identified as Hajia Fati Bapuni has been confirmed dead as a result of floods.

Eyewitnesses told Class FM’s Northern regional correspondent, Mohammed Gadafi that the deceased said she was going to pick her child from school. However, she was swept away by the strong floods on her arrival at the Gariba Lodge Main Gutter area.

Speaking in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM on Wednesday July 26, Mr Boah said: “This is actually a devastating situation for all of us, we have never in the history of Northern Region in the past three years experienced the type of rain we witnessed yesterday.”

“The devastation is something unprecedented because a lot of people are affected, so many homes submerged. We can only pray that within the next few days, we don’t get any rains here so that at least the waters will get down to a level that is acceptable, but so far this morning I took the pain and got up early to just go round to see what is happening. At least the water has gone down and the people are counting their losses.”

He added: “Yesterday we started appealing to individuals and corporate organisations to come in while the government is doing its best to help in whatever way it can. In times like these, help can come from all over so that those who have been affected will get some relief.”