Jawalla villager dies in storm

A violent storm yesterday claimed the life of a resident of Jawalla, in Region Seven.

The woman was not identified up to press time last night.

Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford yesterday confirmed the death but said that the administration was unable to gather information on the magnitude of the damage left behind by the storm.

He told Stabroek News that the storm passed through the village around 4.30 pm yesterday, resulting in the roofs of some homes and the village office being blown off.

Bradford added that a resident from the community, Harold Browne, alerted him to storm sometime after it had passed.

Based on Browne’s account, the storm brought forceful winds, thunder and lightning. It subsequently moved in the direction of Phillipai. He reportedly said that it was the first time the community experienced a storm of such a nature.

According to the Chairman, the region was unable to immediately deploy a team to the affected village since it was late and it did not have an assessment of the damage. He noted that the Civil Defence Commission was alerted and it would be mobilising a team to send to the village today.