A rainstorm has claimed the life of a 12-year-old girl, injured several residents and left scores of families homeless after tearing through parts of the Yendi Municipality in the Northern Region.

The storm, which struck during the early hours of Wednesday, July 22, ripped off rooftops, brought down buildings and destroyed more than 40 houses, displacing dozens of households in one of the municipality's worst weather-related disasters in recent months.

Beyond the destruction of homes, the heavy winds also ruined household belongings, food items and farm produce, leaving many victims dependent on relatives and friends for temporary accommodation while they await assistance.

One of the hardest-hit communities was Meindogu, a suburb of Yendi, where the destruction forced many residents to begin salvaging what remained of their belongings.

The fatality recorded was 12-year-old Asana, who was trapped beneath the rubble after the family's room collapsed during the storm.

Her mother, Awabu Abukari, said the family was asleep when the strong winds ripped off the roof before the walls of the house gave way.

Another resident, Abukari Abu, sustained injuries to his neck while attempting to rescue his children from the collapsing structure.

The Assembly Member for the area described the destruction as severe and appealed to the government, humanitarian organisations and benevolent individuals to provide immediate relief to affected families.

Officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), who visited the community to assess the damage, said preliminary findings showed extensive destruction to homes and property.

They urged residents with the capacity to accommodate displaced relatives and neighbours to do so while the assessment is completed and relief items are mobilised for distribution.

Residents have meanwhile appealed for urgent support, including roofing sheets, building materials, food, clothing and other essential supplies to enable them to rebuild their lives after the disaster.