A heavy rainstorm on Wednesday hit Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, causing widespread destruction in the Bukuru community.

Our correspondent gathered that the storm destroyed several houses, including the gate of the Jos South Council Secretariat.

The Chairman of Jos South LGA, Hon. Silas Patrick Dung, confirmed the development to newsmen in Jos on Wednesday.

According to the chairman, the storm was extremely powerful, uprooting all four columns supporting the Secretariat gatehouse and damaging several houses in the community.

“For the storm to destroy the Council Secretariat gate, which was built with 25mm rods, shows that it must have been a very strong rainstorm,” he said.

The chairman, who visited the affected areas along with officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), reported that about six houses were completely destroyed, while several others had their roofs blown off and fences damaged.

“From what we have been able to assess so far, around six houses were destroyed. We are still moving around the community and awaiting reports from other locations to determine whether the damage is more extensive than initially observed,” Dung explained.

He attributed the destruction to the strong winds, describing it as a natural disaster.

“It’s actually the storm that caused the havoc. It is a natural disaster and not man-made, as there was nothing anyone could have done to prevent it. The local government is currently assessing the full extent of the damage and will provide support to the affected residents,” he added.

Dung assured that the council would take immediate steps to mitigate further risks and prevent harm from the damaged structures.

“We are planning to demolish the affected structure to prevent any further danger it might pose to the people,” the chairman stated.