3 Children injured, residents displaced after Kalba rainstorm

A severe rainstorm that hit Kalba in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District in the Savannah Region last Saturday has left three children injured and many residents displaced.

The injured who are between the ages of two and 10 years were rushed to the Kalba Health Centre, where they are currently receiving treatment.

The storm, which lasted for about three hours, ripped off the roofs of more than 70 houses, the OutPatient Department (OPD) of the Kalba Health Centre and several basic schools.

Displaced residents

The Assemblyman for the Kalba Electoral Area, Sidik Sadat, told the Daily Graphic that more than 400 people had been rendered homeless by the storm.

He said some of the victims were currently living with relatives while others were sleeping in the open.

He indicated that officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had since visited the community to assess the situation, as the victims continued to count their losses.

This structure had its roof ripped off by the storm

Mr Sadat appealed to the government and benevolent organisations to as a matter of urgency come to the aid of the victims with relief items and roofing materials to enable them to rebuild.

Appeal

Recounting the incident, some of the victims said they lost virtually all their belongings to the disaster and were now surviving on the benevolence of family and friends.

“We want NADMO and other organisations to support us with food and clothes for our children to continue to go to school while we rebuild,” a victim, Amina Salifu, appealed.

Officials of the Kalba Health Centre said the extent of havoc caused by the rainstorm was severe, which required urgent attention to ensure smooth healthcare delivery.