By Mohammed Balu
Pulima, (UWR), Aug. 23, GNA – The Sissala East and the Sissala West District Chief Executives nearly lost their lives in flood waters in the Pulima-Lilixia portion of the Tumu-Wa highway.
The unfortunate accident left the two Chief Executives with bruises on their limbs, swollen legs and other bodily pains sustained in the unexpected flood accident.
The two are currently in the Tumu Hospital and in a stable condition.
Mr Fuseini Yakubu Batong, the Sissala East Municipal Chief Executive, one of the victims told the GNA that, “We were returning from Wa to Tumu around 0100 hours, when my vehicle broke down, so I got into the Sissala West DCEs Toyota Hilux pick up vehicle.
“When we drove about two kilometres into Pulima town, we immediately realized the bridge before Pulima, which is under construction had been flooded so, we stood there for some time hoping the water level would reduce.”
He said while they were waiting, a Rhino truck managed to cross over the bridge from the opposite direction, which gave them false hope.
“The driver of the Rhino then told us that we could not get to the other side due to the high pressure of the flood.
“We then began to reverse, and at that point, another huge water came from behind that ran over the vehicle and immediately caused our car to stop and the engine seized momentarily locking all the doors centrally in the flooded area,” the MCE said.
The MCE explained that the driver then managed to open his side of the door after a struggle and the entire car got filled with the flooded water.
“It brought a moment of fear and panic as we all started struggling for our lives not knowing how and where the floods had come from; I then jumped from the car and fell in the water but held on to an object, which saved me from being carried away until the driver and my colleague came to save me,” he added.
Mr Mahmud Forkah, DCE for Sissala West said, “I also jumped to the other side and hit my knee against a stone in the water, but struggled and escaped before the car was washed off the road to the bridge and finally turned over with our phones and other belongings.
We then stood there helpless for a while until help came after hours. That side of the road has never been known to be a flood-prone area and how I came out of it, I was shocked and cannot believe what happened.”
Mr Fuseini Batong Yakubu, after narrating the incident from the hospital bed, said he was still feeling pains from the waist, the arms and bruises he sustained whilst Mr Mahmud Forkah complained of knee injury and other general bodily pains.
He said they were lucky to have survived because it was a brief period of pain and a near-death experience.
It had not rained in the Sissala area for several weeks until last night when the area experienced heavy rainfalls that nearly claimed the lives of the two District Chief Executives.
The vehicle has since been removed from the bridge.
GNA