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Windstorm causes havoc at Sokode-Ando

THE people of Sokode-Ando in the Ho municipality are counting their losses after strong winds on Wednesday destroyed about 38 houses.

The winds also ripped off the roofs of  a church and school buildings in the community.

About 200 people have been displaced by the severe weather condition which hit the community at about 3.30 pm that day.

The gale also uprooted many trees in the community.

One man whose leg was hurt during the melee was rushed to the hospital where he was treated and discharged.

In a swift response to an SOS call from the community, Mr Benjamin Kpodo, Member of Parliament (MP) for the area turned up at Sokode-Ando on Thursday to sympathize to the disaster victims and also assess the extent of damage.

The assembly man of the area, Mr E. Davor, who conducted the MP round the ruins, said that the displaced were perching with the relatives in the interim.

On his part, Mr Kpodo entreated property developers at Sokode-Ando to adhere strictly to standard building regulations to avoid similar a catastrophe in future.

He observed that some of the buildings were put up in jumbled manner and that made them vulnerable to the winds.

Mr Kpodo also urged the community to plant as many trees as possible to serve as wind sheds.

He pledged “some” consignments of roofing sheets to the victims to enable them re-roof their damaged houses as soon as possible.

The MP, therefore, called on the assemblyman and other opinion leaders in the community to set up a committee to supervise the distribution of the roofing sheets.

Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Mr. Divine Bosson has said that in the wake of limited relief items, the organisation would prioritise the re-roofing of the school buildings in the community.

For now, the atmosphere at Sokode-Ando is desolate.

The windstorm was said to have caused damage to buildings at neighbouring Sokode-Gbogame and Sokode-Bagble as well.

FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, SOKODE-ANDO

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