3 die, 8 missing in Gombe heavy rainfall ―SEMA

GOMBE State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has confirmed the death of three persons including an Imam while eight others are still missing following the heavy rainfall witnessed in Gombe metropolis Monday night.

Executive Secretary of SEMA, Dr. Danlami Arabs Rukujei, while speaking to newsmen over the Agency’s findings, disclosed that SEMA used the whole of Tuesday to assess the entire Gombe metropolis which is the State capital and its environs and came up with a casualty figure of three deaths, eight missing persons and the destruction of a total of 20 houses and other structures.

It would be recalled that Gombe metropolis experienced a heavy rainfall Monday night between 7:30 and 9:30 pm resulting in the death of Mohammed Bello Musa, an Imam who died shortly after leading Islamic prayers at the Mosque opposite the Gombe Government House.

Reports have it that Mohammed Bello was overpowered by the currents of rain when he tried to adjust his car to a better parking space but the flood swept him away while in the car to another part of the town where he was later rescued but was confirmed dead on reaching the hospital.

However, while explaining their findings, SEMA’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Rukujei stated that “We went out today (Tuesday) based on reports reaching us this morning, so far we have confirmed the loss of three lives, including that of a prominent Islamic scholar and the destruction of twenty houses.”

“We are grateful to God that looking at the magnitude of the rain, the amount of drainage work that has been done in Gombe has really assisted in minimizing the damage that would have occurred,” Arabs Rukujei added.

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He further explained that “We have reports of about eight people who have not been accounted for, those are the ones the corps have not been sighted, so, we are not in a position to know what has happened to them.”

Speaking on Government’s intervention in terms of assistance to those badly affected, Arabs Rukujei stated that they just concluded their assessment adding that, “it took us the whole day to go round to evaluate the report we have and tomorrow we will be submitting our findings.”

He said Government will continue to sensitize the public on the need not to block their drainages and other waterways and other issues that have to do with the safety of the environment.