By Emma Amaize, Warri
...Renders 500 persons homeless, destroys 120 houses
NO fewer than 500 persons, including primary school pupils, have been dislocated and 120 houses submerged by ocean rage at Gbekebor community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.
Saturday Vanguard was informed that Meindu Primary School, Founkoro Primary School, Gbekebor Grammar School, all in Gbekebor and the community's market were affected.
Ex-chairman of Gbekebor Community Council, Mr. Alapala Ebitonmo, whose private jetty was destroyed said, "The entire town is completely submerged under water".
His words: "We do experience widespread inundation as a result of the collapse of the shore-protection for over three decades, but the coastal flood we currently experienced is unprecedented. The degree of destruction or the havoc wreaked by the inundated water on the community is unusual and pathetic".
President of Gbekebor Peace Movement and secretary of Gbekebor Urban Union, Mr. Oyinkro Egberibo and Mr. Tonfa Cyprian respectively stated that surge devastated property worth millions of naira, while displaced persons had no food to eat and no clothes to wear.
They asserted that the disaster also affected fishing materials and farmlands, "which invariably impeded the occupational activities of the residents and consequently, intensified the level of our hardship as well as paralyzed other socio economic activities of the community".
Vanguard Nigeria
Floods ravaging everywhere, God have mercy on us in this trying times.