Windstorm, heavy downpour kill six, destroy 500 houses in Katsina

 Windstorm and heavy downpour in the late hours of Thursday evening in Katsina State has claimed live of six persons and destroyed 500 houses in the state.

Executive Secretary, Katsina State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Dr. Aminu Garba Waziri confirmed development to newsmen in the state on Friday.

Dr. Waziri said the four persons lost their lives in Kukar Gesa while two others died in Shinkafi and Modoji areas of the state.

The SEMA Boss said incident also left five others injured in Kukar Gesa area, houses destroyed leaving several persons displaced, roofing of houses blown off, electric poles brought down and several fences collapsed.

According to him, “we recorded a natural disaster of windstorm and not flooding.

“We recorded six deaths as a result of the incident. We lost six persons. Four died in Kukar Gesa and five others injured while Two died in Shinkafi and Modoji areas respectively.

“I got a distress call about the incident around 6pm.

“Areas affected include Kukar Gesa (100 houses, Shinkafi ward A and B (150 houses), An area popularly known as Ambassador (70 houses) Makera village (40 houses), companies area in Kabarawa (30 houses), Kabarawa, over 53 houses were destroyed in Armed Forces barracks in Nasanta and along Daura road with over 400km of it perimeter fences destroyed and more than 40 electric poles destroyed,” he stated.

Dr. Waziri said it men and officers were already on ground to carry out assessment after which relief materials will be given to the affected while a makeshift camps were already erected for the displaced persons as directed by the Governor, Aminu Bello Masari.

Meanwhile, close monitoring in the state by our correspondent gathered that Part of government house was affected, roofs to the WAEC permanent site under construction along Kaita road was partly blown off.