Six reported dead in Bagre Dam spillage

Six people have reportedly died in the Upper East region from the Bagre Dam spillage from Burkina Faso.

The situation has been compounded with heavy rains in the area.

Speaking on Morning Starr on Monday, John Kwaku Alhassan, North Eastern Regional Director of NADMO confirmed that two people were killed as a result of the dam spillage while efforts are made to confirm the other deaths.

“We lost two lives and in some communities, some farmlands have been submerged in water,” Mr Alhassan told host Francis Abban.

Several farmlands have also been submerged by water from the Bagre Dam with several farmers losing their livelihoods and farm produce.

Information sent to NADMO from Sonabel, the agency responsible for the management of the Bagre and Kompienga dams, indicated that the volumes of spilled water could be heavier this year.

The upstream level of the Bagre Dam as of Tuesday, August 11, 2020 was 234.97 metres. The rate of filling is 99.60 per cent compared to 62.44 per cent on the same date in 2019.

The spill gates have been opened, with an average discharge/flow of 76.50 cubic metres per second as of August 10, this year.

For the Kompienga Dam, the upstream level was 172.54 metres. The rate of filling is 39.26 per cent compared to 28.76 per cent on the same date in 2019.