Kumasi, Feb 9, GNA - Almost 13 billion cedis' worth of property was lost through disaster last year in the Ashanti Region. The disasters were in the form of domestic fires which recorded about 7.4 billion cedis, representing the highest, followed by rainstorm with 5.2 billion cedis whiles floods and bush fires went into some 700 and 183 million cedis respectively.

A source from the Ashanti Regional secretariat of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) told the GNA that the number of casualties recorded over the year totalled 2,883 and relief items valued at 2.6 billion cedis had been given to the victims. The relief items included mattresses, blankets, plastic buckets, foodstuff and roofing sheets among others.

On measures so far taken to curb the high incidence of both man-made and natural disasters, the source said 420 volunteers were trained to form disaster control groups to assist in educating people in the rural areas on disaster hazards and some preventive tips such as tree-planting.

The source also revealed the efforts it has so far made to educate people on the need to go into farming not only for subsistence but on commercial basis to earn a living and also to be empowered to build more permanent and stable structures able to withstand floods and rainstorms.