Following the series of violent storms in Region Seven- Cuyuni Mazaruni- which resulted in homes, and buildings including the Kako village’s lone Primary School being damaged, efforts are now being made by the Regional Administration to have repairs conducted on the educational facility so as to allow children to return to school.
This is according to the Region Seven Chairman, Gordon Bradford on Tuesday.
“Efforts are being made by the Regional Admin to have emergency repairs carried out on the primary school, [so] that classes can resume as soon as possible,” he said.
Moreover, he noted that discussions are taking place between the Regional Administration, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and the relevant ministries to formulate a coordinated approach to the situation.
In less than one month, at least three villages in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) have been devastated by violent storms, leaving residents to pick up the pieces and restart life.
The most recent incident occurred late on Saturday afternoon when a violent storm wreaked havoc in Kako Village.
Although there was no loss of life, residents now have the herculean task of reconstructing their damaged properties.
According to Bradford, at the time, no one was seriously injured but he had noted that a team from the Regional Democratic Council’s Emergency Preparedness Committee had been dispatched to the village and had reported that some six houses were totally destroyed, six other buildings suffered major damage and the school in the area was also damaged.
School reopening on Monday was halted due to the facility being damaged.
According to the Regional Chairman, residents indicated that for the past five days they have been experiencing heavy rains coupled with lightning and thunder which would usually begin in the afternoon hours around 15:00h.
Bradford said that the CDC has been informed and was on standby to provide assistance if needed. He added that Kamarang, also in Region Seven, was affected, but because of its remote location, the details of the damages there are yet to be reported.
The Regional Chairman said interior locations would experience frequent storms during the hurricane season and noted that the residents were already looking at the possibility of constructing storm-resistant homes.
He asserted that a storm-resistant home would be built to house the family of Marsha Jordan, who was killed when a house collapsed on her last month during a violent storm.
Jordan was seven months pregnant at the time. She was the mother of two girls aged 3 and 11. Jordan and her two daughters were sheltering under a house when it collapsed on them, immediately killing her.
