Africa-Press – Uganda. At least 53 people have been admitted to different health facilities after sustaining injuries when heavy rain destroyed their houses in Tororo District.
The downpour accompanied by hailstorm swept through several villages in Magola Sub-county and Iyolwa Town Council on Tuesday evening.
About 1,500 families have also been displaced and have sought shelter in neighbouring schools and churches.
The Magola Sub-county chairperson, Mr Ojwang Obbo, said the most affected parishes were Papoli, Magola and Gule.
“It was only out of luck that no life was claimed but there is a lot of damage to property,” Mr Obbo said.
He said the heavy storm also destroyed a science laboratory and practical specimens that had been stocked at Rainer High School to facilitate the ongoing Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) exams.
“We are requesting government and humanitarian organisations to come and support the affected people and institutions,” he said.
Mr Obbo said they have requested some of the families to go and live with their relatives in nearby villages as they wait for government intervention.
“We have also notified the authorities to come and assess the magnitude of disaster and inform the central government to see how the affected families can be assisted,” he said.
Ms Proscivia Kungere, a resident, said she has nowhere to start from after the storm blew off the roof of her house.
“My house was destroyed and we have failed to trace for the iron sheets because they were blown away,” she said.
She is currently nursing her children, who were injured when the incident occurred, at the hospital.
Ms Tabisa Awori, a resident, said: “This is a sign of tough times because for sure, this has never been experienced here.”Mr Charles Osikol, the head of the science department at Rainer High School said they are worried.
“We are worried because we do not know how the school will support candidates to do the remaining science practicals since most of the stocked specimens and science apparatus have been damaged,” he said.
The officer-in-charge of Mile 8 Podut police post, Mr Patrick Ainebyona, said criminals also took advantage of rainstom to loot people’s property.
“We did not have enough manpower, which could have been deployed to guard people’s property,” he said.
