Scenes of the incident
A rainstorm on Sunday in Ikare Akoko, the headquarters of the Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State, has wreaked havoc on the ancient town, killing one person and destroying many houses.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the rainstorm started around 7pm on Sunday and destroyed property in the Ilepa, Okela and Okoja areas, among others.
The deceased, identified as Ayepareti, a butcher, was killed while the house under which he took shelter fell during the heavy rainfall at the Okela area of the town.
A source said after the deceased was removed from the debris, he was rushed to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
The source said, “The rain started around 7pm and poured for about 40 minutes. It started with a serious wind, blowing up the roofs of many houses. Some electric poles and trees fell.”
Some residents of the affected areas described the incident as sad and called for the intervention of the government and humanitarian organizations.The Chairman of the Ikare Akoko Elders Forum, Mr James Oladetohun, sympathised with the victims and called on the government to come to their aid.
A traditional ruler, Chief Saliu Okoja, lamented that the high cost of building materials might make it difficult for many victims to rebuild their houses.
He appealed to Nigerians to assist residents in order to alleviate their suffering.
source: The Punch