Residents of Adaklu-Helekpe and surrounding communities near the Adaklu Mountains in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region are living in fear after a landslide struck the area on Wednesday evening following a heavy downpour.
The incident destroyed houses, vehicles, household property and killed several domestic animals.
Although no lives were lost, dozens of residents have been displaced.
Many of them are now seeking shelter with relatives and friends, while others have taken refuge in public buildings, including schools.
One of the victims, Ms Jessica Lola, told The Ghanaian Times that the incident was unprecedented in the area.
She explained that after hours of heavy rainfall, mud, stones and debris rushed down from the Adaklu Mountains into the community shortly after the rains subsided.
Ms Lola attributed the disaster to increasing environmental degradation around the mountain.
She pointed out that indiscriminate tree felling and bush burning had destroyed the vegetation cover, thereby exposing communities in the area to danger.
The Assembly Member for the Adaklu-Helekpe Electoral Area, Mr Mark Honyeku, has appealed to the Geological Survey Authority, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other environmental agencies to investigate the cause of the disaster and propose measures to prevent a recurrence.
For his part, the Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Geological Authority, Mr Frank Awuah, indicated that the incident was a “debris flow”, a situation where mud, stones and other materials are washed from mountains or hills into lower-lying areas, usually after heavy rainfall.
Mr Awuah said there was no immediate cause for alarm but advised residents to take precautionary measures.
He stated that people living in such areas should evacuate when there are clear signs of heavy rains and remain away for some time afterwards to avoid possible harm.
He further advised residents living around mountains and hills to plant trees around their homes as a long-term solution, explaining that vegetation could help reduce the impact of such incidents and protect lives and property.
Mr Awuah also noted that the Adaklu incident was not the first of its kind in the Volta and Oti regions.
He recalled similar occurrences in the past at Kabakaba Hills at Klefe near Ho in the Ho Municipality and at Santrokofi in the Guan District of the Oti Region, although those incidents also did not record any casualties.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, ADAKLU-HELEKPE
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