Gumani ‘sinks’ as heavy downpour causes floods in Tamale

There was pandemonium in Gumani, a suburb of Tamale, Friday night when the area was flooded following a heavy downpour.

The Gumani – Kanvili Tuunayili road was cut off after the bridge linking the two communities was carried away by the flood waters after Friday evening’s torrential rains which started at about 8 pm.

Cars, tricycles, and motorbikes submerged as the road was completely taken over by the flood.

There have not been reports of any casualty, however, several houses submerged in the floods, causing destruction to properties.

Several other suburbs of Tamale, including Shishegu, Tuunayili, Jisonayili, Sognayili, Kunyevila, and Nyohini were also affected.

“This bridge was bound to collapse because it has been weak for a while, portions of it were damaged but authorities have done nothing about it,” a stranded motorist on the Gumani-Kanvili Tuunayili road told GhanaWeb.

Another resident of Gumani whose house was completely submerged said all her properties have sunk in the flood water.

“Everything is underwater now. My TV, sofas, bed, clothes, utensils, everything. My entire house is flooded,” she said.

“I don’t think we can sleep tonight because it is still raining and we can’t leave our homes” she added.

Several other residents were seen outside around 11 pm, counting their losses and trying to seek shelter at safer places.

The residents called on the government to find a lasting solution to the perennial floods in the area.

Police and fire personnel stationed to save lives

Personnel from the Ghana Police Service and Ghana National Fire Service were stationed at the Gariba Lodge stretch of the Tamale-Bolgatanga highway during the torrential rains to direct traffic as the road was flooded.

The Gariba Lodge Bridge had also submerged in the floods, posing a threat to the lives of road users.

That stretch has over the years claimed several lives during periods of floods.

In July 2017, a teacher identified as Hajia Fati Dabuni, who was said to be driving a Toyota RAV 4 vehicle with registration GT 8271-11, was swept away by flood water at the same location.

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 year earlier, another man and his child were also swept away by flood water at the Gariba Lodge Bridge.