Ashaiman, July 5, GNA - Families of the 16 people who lost their liv es in the Ashaiman floods would receive an amount of GH¢500.00 each from t he Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA), as support for the funeral rites. The victims aged between three and 65 years made up of 10 males and six females, lost their lives after a 12-hour heavy downpour in the Municipal ity on June 20.

Numo Adinortey Addison, Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), wh o disclosed this at a press conference on Monday, said the bodies of the deceased, comprised nine children and seven adults have been deposited at

the Tema General Hospital morgue. The conference was organized by the Ashaiman Municipal Disaster Management Committee, to explain to the public the current situation in t he Municipality, after the flood. Numo Addison added that the amount to be given to the families was p art of an approved figure of GH¢40,000.00 by the Assembly, to alleviate the

plight of the victims of the devastating flood. He indicated that 547 people got injured, while 9,314 people made up of 1,318 families were displaced. The MCE further stated that the estimated distraction of the rain fl ood in monetary terms amounted to about GH¢260,000.00. He said as many as 8,680 of the victims have been presented with rel ief items from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO). The items included 429 bags of rice, 365 bags of maize, 75 bags of beans, 14, 832 bars of soap, 5,550 pieces of mats and 400 pieces of drink ing cups.

Others were 55 pieces of buckets, 100 pieces of mattresses, 54 bales of used clothing, 20 cartons of cooking oil, 300 pieces of blankets and 300 pieces of mosquito nets.

Numo Addison appealed to the government to urgently consider the construction of the Gbemi, Amar-tsuru and Jericho storm drains. He further said the drains should be widened enough to collect more rain water to avoid a recurrence of the rain disaster. The MCE thanked President John Evans Atta Mills and other government

officials for touring the Municipality to console the people after the incident. He also thanked organizations and individuals who donated relief ite ms to the victims for the gesture, and called on others to emulate that shin ing example. The most affected communities of the flood disaster in the Municipal ity were Community 22, New Town, Valco Flat, Jericho, and Roman Down. Others were Ashaiman Dam Site, Mamomo, Market Square, and Asensu.