Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced

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A rainstorm that hit Damongo township has injured one student of the Damongo Senior High School and displaced hundreds of students.

The storm also rendered some residents homeless.

The less than an hour rainstorm on Thursday night, March 31, 2022, ripped off Abu Juan’s House, one of the boys’ dormitories, leaving the students at the mercy of the rain and the cold weather.

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Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced
Abu Juan’s House ceiling ripped off

According to West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive, Musah Kusubare, the student, who sustained minor injuries in the process, has been treated and discharged, and no lives have been lost.

Belongings including mattresses, books, beds and clothes among others, were all soaked in water.

Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced

One of the students, who spoke to JoyNews, said he and his colleagues escaped narrowly when the roof was ripped off.

“It was just the mercy of God that the roof was taken to the back of the dormitory if not, lives would have been lost last night,” Salifu Iddrisu indicated.

Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced

The affected students are currently putting up with their colleagues in other dormitories pending renovation of the affected building.

The roofs of four dormitories and electrical wiring were all ripped off, leaving behind a wrecked building.

Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced
One of the four dormitories of Damango SHS affected by the heavy rainstorm

School authorities, the West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive, officials from the Municipal Education Directorate and NADMO all visited the scene last night.

The School Authorities said it was bad timing considering the fact that they are about to receive their first year students.

Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced

“The timing is awkward and dangerous. Just imagine that from next Monday onwards, we will be receiving our first-year students and this has happened, how do we balance it? It’s a big challenge to us. So, we need an immediate Government intervention to salvage the situation and restore normal life on campus.”

Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced

Four communities, including; Yagbonkura, Canteen, Abengakura and Alhassankura were also hit. Electric poles and wires were pulled down cutting power supply to the community.

Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced
Electric poles cut down as a result of the heavy rainstorm

At Yagbonkura, dozens of homes were destroyed with several residents displaced. The storm pulled down trees, crushing on buildings, including schools.

Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced

The Assemblyman for the Canteen Electoral area, Anangpasah Batholomew, said the area is a disaster-prone zone, therefore, it was badly hit.

Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced

“We are not free because Canteen is one of the hardest-hit areas during rainstorms. Last year’s situation was an eye-sore, but this year I anticipated it.

“The mere fact that we have environmental destruction, we anticipated that some of these things would happen but then, it’s early days yet in the season for us to begin to record such disasters,” he stated.

Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced

He said many residents around the Canteen township are currently homeless including teachers of the Canteen Junior High School.

Mariam Ishaku is one of the victims at the Canteen. She told JoyNews, “this year’s rain has reminded me of what happened to me and the family last year. But I pray that the rains should come without this kind of heavy storm, because I’m still afraid of the last rainstorm.”

Heavy rainstorm at Damango injures 1, leaving others displaced

Meanwhile, officials of National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) were spotted in the affected communities, assessing the level of destruction.