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Homes, schools razed in Volta Region after Saturday rainstorm

By Joy News| Ivy Setordzi
General News Homes, schools razed in Volta Region after Saturday rainstorm
JAN 27, 2015 LISTEN

Hundreds of families in South Tongu in the Volta Region were rendered homeless following a rainstorm that swept through some communities in the district, Saturday.

Roofs of three basic schools in the district were also ripped off.

In all about 91 households and schools were affected by the January 24 rainstorm.

During a visit by South Tongu District Chief Executive, Samuel Mawuko Eworyi, to the affected areas residents and school authorities appealed for urgent assistance from government.

Head Teacher of Agbakope Primary School, Augustine Dutorgbe, whose school was hit by the rainstorm said text books and other teaching materials were destroyed in the heavy downpour.

He said the roof of a whole classroom block was ripped off.

"In the meantime, we just have a multiple grade class to maintain the children as teaching and learning goes on. We are waiting for philanthropists to come and assist us to come and reroof our classroom block", he said.

District National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator, Freeman Kumedzro, said  damage assessment has been conducted on the affected buildings and a report sent to the national office for immediate assistance.

Mr Eworyi assured school authorities of government's swift response to the situation.

"We cannot afford for our pupils to be running shifts so as early as possible we are going to get the buildings reroofed", he said.

He also pointed to construction flaws in some of the homes destroyed by the rainstorm.

"We notice that there have been a lot of structural defects when it came to the building that were put up. So it was easy for the wind to just lift the roof off ", Mr Eworyi said.

He however promised to ensure NADMO supplies some of displaced residents with roofing sheets and other relevant supplies, although he did not state when this will be done.

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