More than 100 houses were destroyed and scores of families displaced after a devastating rainstorm ravaged Tom Gangare community in Sopp Ward of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The disaster, which occurred on Sunday evening following a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds, also destroyed health facilities, places of worship and other critical infrastructure, leaving residents counting their losses.

A member of the community Mr. Bot Felix said property worth millions of naira were damaged during the incident, while many affected residents have been rendered homeless.

He said the violent windstorm uprooted several trees, many of which fell on residential buildings, worsening the destruction across the community.
Many victims were still without shelter, food and other basic necessities, while appeals for urgent humanitarian assistance continued to mount.

Also speaking on the development, a community stakeholder, Hon. Dung Danboyi, described the incident as tragic and appealed for urgent intervention from government and humanitarian agencies.

According to him, although no life was lost, the destruction has left many households without shelter and exposed victims to severe hardship.

“The level of destruction is overwhelming. Many families have lost their homes and means of livelihood. We are appealing to government agencies, humanitarian organisations and well-meaning individuals to come to the aid of our people during this difficult time,” he said.

Danboyi called on the Plateau State Government, the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, development partners and other stakeholders to provide immediate relief materials and support for affected residents.

Also speaking, the Councillor representing Sopp Ward, Hon. Gwong Ibrahim, urged relevant authorities to urgently intervene to cushion the impact of the disaster on victims.

He stressed the need for emergency relief assistance, noting that many affected families were struggling to secure temporary shelter and basic necessities.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Riyom Local Government Council, Hon. Sati Bature Shuwa, visited the community to assess the extent of the damage and sympathise with victims.

Addressing residents, Shuwa assured them that efforts would be made to facilitate assistance and support for those affected by the disaster.

He disclosed that a comprehensive assessment would be conducted to determine the extent of the losses and enable appropriate intervention by government and emergency management agencies.