One person has been confirmed dead following a heavy downpour in the Tamale metropolis that lasted for about four hours on Tuesday.

The name of the deceased person was given by the Police as Hajia Fati Dabuni, a teacher who was said to be driving a Toyota RAV 4 vehicle with REGISTRATIONGT 8271-11 which was swept away by the flood water.

The downpour also resulted in the flooding of some parts of the metropolis including the Gynecology ward of the Tamale Teaching Hospital. The worst affected areas are Gumani, Kanvile,Sagnarigu, Kunyavila and Kasalgu where some residents have been cut off. The deceased person was driving in her car when she was swept off by the flood waters around the Gariba Lodge HOTEL IN Gumani.

A rescue operation by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) led to the discovery of the lifeless body of the woman in the vehicle. Five others including two nursing mothers were also rescued alive at Kasalgu and Kunyavila.

The flood waters also carried away animals, containers and TRICYCLES and also submerged some houses in the worst affected areas. Commercial activities in the metropolis were also halted by the downpour that lasted for about four hours.

A heavy downpour also affected service delivery at the Tamale Teaching Hospital as the Gynaecology Ward got flooded. It took nurses and other health personnel at the ward to clean up the mess created by the flood waters that entered the ward.

The Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr. Yussif Tanko and the Northern Regional GNFS, PRO, Assistant Divisional Officer, Mr. Paul Opoku Aikins both confirmed the casualty to Graphic Online after the rescue operation.

AD Opoku Aikins said the rescue team was still going around to search for more victims.

Unconfirmed

Meanwhile unconfirmed reports indicate that a two year old boy also died at the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School near the Regional House of Chief. As at the time of filing this report, the Northern Regional Minister, Mr. Sa-eed Salifu was on a tour at the affected areas in the metropolis to assess the impact of the disaster on the ground and to empathise WITH the bereaved family.

Source: Graphic Online