Windstorm kills girl, injures 15 others in Gombe

A little girl has been killed and 15 people injured following a windstorm which also destroyed property worth millions of naira at the Southern Bypass of Gombe metropolis in Gombe State.

City & Crime gathered that the incident took place on Monday around 5pm during the first rain of the season in Gombe, in which over 100 houses were also destroyed.

The areas affected are Ampate, Maitama, Nayi Nawa and Bagadaza located on the outskirts of Gombe.

A resident of Bagadaza, Malam Abba Muhammad, said the roof of his two-bedroom flat was blown off, while the fence collapsed, forcing his family of five to relocate to a neighbour’s house.

The Ward Head of Wuro Ampate, Malam Isa Adamu, said the incident left many families homeless and affected the means of livelihood of several others.

He said, “We have been going around to ascertain the number of affected buildings and families, but we have not been able to get the exact number of the property affected because the destruction is enormous.

“We only hope that the government will support these families who are mostly seeking shelter and other support. You know people are already going through a lot of challenges due to the growing hardship in the land, and this destruction has added to their troubles.”

Our correspondent reports that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) visited the areas to assess the level of damage in order to provide assistance to those affected.