About six communities in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State are counting their losses following the havoc wreaked by windstorm which lasted for only 15 minutes.
The communities include: Ntamante, Okundi, Ishiagurube, Kakwagom Iruan.
The storm which began at about 4pm on Saturday west of the communities, most of which are canopied in thick forest, blasted through the villages clearing everything on its path.
Over 350 houses, including 2 secondary school buildings, were either blown off or pulled down, displacing over 6,000 people, while a communication mast was badly damaged and electrical installations destroyed.
Other properties destroyed by the storm were 3,000 PHCN polls with cables scattered everywhere disrupting public power supply to the council while over 500 families of the affected communities are also still counting their material losses and injuries.
The family of one Mr. Abang lost a 13-year-old Jss3 student of Budda Comprehensive Secondary School, Kakwagom Iruan, Janet Asu.
According to the Director-General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr Vincent Aquah, the magnitude of the disaster is far beyond the capacity of the state government. He, therefore, appealed to the federal government, philanthropic organisations and individuals to assist in rehabilitating the victims of the disaster.
In 2012, a landslide from the Afi mountain range in Boki swept away a substantial part of Buachor community displacing thousands, farm Lands, houses, bridges and many lives were lost to the incident, while streams and rivers were silted with the debris from the slide.
The incident was attributed to heavy down pour. The are yet to fully recover from the devastation which caused the Vice President Namadi Sambo to pay an inspection visit to the area last year.
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