A devastating rainstorm has destroyed about 100 houses in Tom Gangare community, Sopp Ward, Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, leaving many families displaced and homeless.
The incident occurred on Sunday following a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds, which also damaged health facilities, places of worship and other critical infrastructure in the community.
A resident, Mr. Bot Felix, said property worth millions of naira was destroyed during the disaster, while many residents lost their homes.
According to him, the windstorm uprooted several trees, many of which fell on residential buildings, worsening the scale of destruction across the community.
A community stakeholder, Dung Danboyi, described the incident as tragic and appealed for urgent intervention from the government and humanitarian organisations.
He expressed relief that no lives were lost but lamented that the destruction had left many households without shelter and exposed victims to severe hardship.
“The level of destruction is overwhelming. Many families have lost their homes and means of livelihood. We are appealing to government agencies, humanitarian organisations and well-meaning individuals to come to the aid of our people during this difficult time,” he said.
Danboyi called on the Plateau State Government, the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, development partners and other stakeholders to provide immediate relief materials and support to affected residents.
The Councillor representing Sopp Ward, Gwong Ibrahim, also appealed to relevant authorities to urgently intervene and cushion the impact of the disaster on victims.
He stressed the need for emergency relief assistance, noting that many affected families were struggling to secure temporary shelter and basic necessities.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Riyom Local Government Council, Sati Bature Shuwa, visited the community to assess the extent of the damage and sympathise with victims.
Shuwa assured residents that efforts would be made to facilitate assistance and support for those affected by the disaster.
He added that a comprehensive assessment would be carried out to determine the extent of the losses and pave the way for appropriate intervention by government and emergency management agencies.