A Tuesday evening that began with a routine rainstorm has ended in a profound humanitarian crisis for the Nframa community.
A nine-year-old girl is dead and an estimated 700 residents have been left homeless after a severe storm decimated homes and infrastructure across the Sene West District of the Bono East Region.
The tragedy has a face in nine-year-old Celestine, a student who had just returned from school before the storm hit. According to her mother, Celestine was sleeping with her younger sister when the family’s home began to crumble under the force of the winds.
In a desperate scramble to lead her children to safety as the walls collapsed, the mother and child both slipped.
Celestine struck her head on a stone, resulting in profuse bleeding. She was tragically pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital, leaving the community in a state of devastation.
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and local assembly members describe a scene of total devastation.
“The situation we are facing is beyond the strength of the local assembly alone,” the DCE stated during a somber inspection of the debris. “We are seeing buildings that are simply no longer safe for habitation. We are appealing to the hearts of all Ghanaians.”
Church and nearby schools are serving as makeshift sanctuaries.
However, officials warn these facilities are dangerously overcrowded and lack the sanitation and resources needed to support hundreds of people for an extended period.
The DCE is issuing an emergency plea to the Central Government, corporate organizations, and private donors.
With 150 households currently sleeping on classroom floors, the need for immediate intervention is critical.
By Belinda Tetteh
