General News of Friday, 27 April 2007

Source: GNA

Floods destroy properties in Kumasi

Kumasi, April 27, GNA- A severe rainstorm that hit the Kumasi metropolis on Thursday night caused river Asuoweremfuo to overflow its banks at Buokrom damaging properties worth several millions of cedis. The worse victim was Alhaji Al Malikiiya, whose entire house was engulfed by the floods destroying every property in the process. The flood broke down the fenced wall of the house and entered the rooms and destroyed his personal belongings and flooded the vehicles in the house.

When the Ghana News Agency visited the house on Friday afternoon, relatives and sympathizers were helping the victims to salvage some of the properties while others tried scooping water from the house.

Speaking to the GNA, Alhaji Malikiiya said he and the wife had to wade through the flood, which was at the waist level in the night to save their children and other valuable properties, however, the dogs in the house got drowned. He attributed the flood to a bridge being constructed over the river to pave way for the construction of the Limex-Junction-Tafo road, which passed in front of the house.

He said the narrow nature of the bridge might have caused the river to overflow its banks.

Alhaji Malikiiya therefore appealed to the Department of Urban Roads and the Contractors to widen the bridge to prevent future disasters in the area. Nana Anthony Nsiah, Assemblyman for the Buokrom electoral area, who

visited the victims, appealed to the Department of Urban roads to desilt the river to enable it to flow freely to prevent future disasters.

He appealed to NADMO to go to the aid of the victims. Meanwhile, residents who will be affected by the construction of the Limex junction-Tafo road have appealed to the Department of Urban Roads to give them some compensation to enable them resettle.

Making the appeal through the GNA, Madam Afua Nyarko, spokeswoman for the affected persons, said the compensation would enable them relocate their properties to make way for the road construction. She said the affected persons, most of whom, owned kiosks along the road would not be able to survive without some compensation.