FIVE NARROWLY ESCAPE DEATH (PAGE 29)

Luck smiled on occupants of a saloon car when a mighty oak tree fell on the car and the kiosks at Ward ‘K,’’ a Tamale suburb last Thursday. Some nearby kiosks and a metal container were not spared the impact of the fallen tree either.
Five persons, including the occupants of the car and of the container, were safely pulled out of the wreckage with minor injuries.
Some of the items in the container and kiosk were destroyed in the process.
Some nearby residents and passers-by were not, however, fortunate as they were attacked by bees which were perching in the branches of the tree.
When the oak tree went down the bees, whose peace apparently was disturbed, went berserk, stinging anybody in sight.
The branches of the fallen tree partially covered a portion of the main road from the Warders Canteen leading to the Sakasaka quarters, thus obstructing driving on the busy, narrow road.
According to an eyewitness, Mr Iddrisu Musah, the incident occurred at about 3 p.m. after a rainstorm the previous day. The wreckage is yet to be cleared from the scene of the accident.
This incident occurred in the wake of the heavy and incessant rains in Tamale and the northern part of the country in general this year that claimed lives and caused injuries and massive damage to properties. A number of houses and structures also collapsed.
The latest victim to have suffered from this calamity was a security man with a firm in Tamale, Mr Mohammed Amin, 45.
He died two weeks ago on a Thursday night in his attempt to cross a drain at Gumani on his way home to Jisonayili after work.
Among the hardest hit suburbs are Gumani, Builpela, Choggu and some surrounding communities where many rooms and houses have been submerged in water.
Some of the victims are currently putting up with friends and relations while those who suffered severe injuries are receiving treatment at the hospital.
Some of the victims the Daily Graphic spoke to urgently appealed to the authorities of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and philanthropists to come to their aid.
A victim, Mr Afah Muhammadu Iddi, said ‘‘at the moment, all I have is what I am wearing. The rest of my properties and those of my children including books and other valuable items were either carried away or soaked in the water.’’