Plateau: Flood claims 30 in 4 LGs

NO fewer than 30 people lost their lives and many houses washed away during a downpour that led to massive flood in the southern part of Plateau State.Nigeian Tribune learnt that the rain, which started on Saturday and lasted till Sunday evening, wreaked havoc on virtually all the villages, destroying farmland and all structures on the waterways.It was learnt that the flood also destroyed three bridges linking the area with Nasarawa and Taraba states, including neighbouring local govenment areas of the state, while close to 1,000 houses were affected by the flood.Nigeian Tribune learnt that more corpses were still being picked at various locations both within and outside the affected zone, while virtually all the farmlands were washed away in the unfortunate incident.The transition committee chairman of Shendam Local Government Area, Honourable Kemi Nshe, told Newsmen that two hundred hectares of farmland were washed away by the flood in his local government area alone.While on an assesment tour of the afected areas, the senator representing the Southern part of the state, Senator Victor Lar, described theincident as unfortunate, adding that it was the first time the zone would experience such a downpour.Lar said victims of the flood were undergoing hardship, adding that with the development, there was the likelihood of an outbreak of epidemicsin the area as a result of the displacement of over 1,500 persons.Lar called on both the state and federal governments to come to the aid of the affected communities, saying that he had contacted the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), which had responded by sending team of officials to assess the level of destruction with a view to assisting the victims.
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