Death toll in Upper East floods reaches 28

A total of 28 people have so far lost their lives in the torrential rains in the Upper East region.

As of Wednesday morning, the death toll stood at 27, but the Upper East NADMO regional coordinator Jerry Asamani confirmed on 3FM Sunrise morning show on Thursday that one body was later discovered in the Bongo District.

According to Mr. Asamani, residents were warned about the impending disaster because of the state of buildings in that part of the country, which are mostly constructed with mud and are over aged.

The NADMO Coordinator is therefore calling for a legal framework which would empower the disaster prevention agency to stop people from building haphazardly.

He later told Onua FM’s Yen Sempa that about 640 residents have been displaced with some putting up in schools, mosque and churches. About the injured, he said, “some were discharged from the hospital for local treatments and we still have 19 in the hospital.”

A downpour on Monday October 14, 2019, in the Kasina Nankana East and South, Builsa South, Bawku, Bongo and Garu Timpane districts caused the areas to flood, rendering many homeless..

Relief items

Mr. Asamani said his outfit has run out of relief items, and that they have sent NADMO officials to the headquarters in Accra to get more items for the victims.

“We need cements, roofing sheets, roofing nails, detergents, used clothing, pumping machines because some homes are still flooded, solar lamps, food stuff, and many more”, he explained.