Storm renders about 300 people homeless

Bekwai (Ash), March 2, GNA-A storm which swept through some communities in the Amansie East district of Ashanti recently left in its trail the destruction of buildings including school buildings. Some of the affected communities are Jacobu, Pampaso, Bogyawe, Koniyaw, Dadease, Homase Numbers One and Two, Kensere, Kwamang and Adankranja.

The affected schools are the Jacobu Secondary/Technical School, Future Leaders Preparatory School, Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) junior secondary school, all at Jacobu, Patase junior secondary school, Sanfo-Aduam SDA primary school, Pampaso and Adumasa preparatory schools. Briefing Mr Benjamin Asonaba-Dapaah, a member of the Council of State on the disaster during his visit to the Amansie East district on Thursday, Mr Justice Amoah-Owusu, the District Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), said about 300 people had been rendered homeless as a result of the storm.

He therefore, appealed through the Council of State member to the government and other benevolent organisations to come to the aid of the victims, who were putting up with friends and relatives. Mr Amoah-Owusu said the affected people and schools would need cement, roofing sheets, timber boards and nails to rebuild the houses and schools.

He said, however, that comprehensive reports on the disaster had been sent to the Ashanti Regional secretariat of NADMO for submission to the national headquarters.

Mr Asonaba-Dapaah consoled the affected communities and victims and hoped some support and assistance would come to them as quickly as possible.

He stressed the need for people to regularly maintain their houses and asked the communities to plant trees around their houses to serve as windbreaks.