Rains leave schools roofless

—-A heavy down fall characterised with strong winds and hail stones has blown off roofs from classroom blocks, a reverend’s house and of two villagers in Chinsali district of Muchinga Province.

Schools affected include Lubwa Primary School, Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School and Mishishi Primary School as well as Lubwa Mission where a roof on the house belonging to the Rev Elijah Chisulo has been blown off.

A check by the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) yesterday revealed that heavy rains experienced last Friday, November 28, left a 1×4 class room at Lubwa Primary school damaged.

Also affected is a historical classroom at Lubwa Primary School where Dr Kenneth Kaunda was taught from during his standard 4 education and he later came back to teach in the same classroom after being trained as a teacher.

Lubwa Primary School head teacher, Frank Kaonga, said the disaster, which happened around 16:00 hours, also left one staff house and United Church of Zambia (UCZ) reverend‘s house roofless.

Mr Kaonga said the iron sheets that were on the buildings were found across the road a distance of about 200 meters from the school.

He said all the teaching materials and other documents that were kept in the main office were completely soaked in water.

At Kenneth Kaunda Secondary School, head teacher Blackwell Silwenga, said one teacher’s house had its roof blown off during the same heavy rains experienced last Friday.

School head teacher Blackwell Silwenga said the rains lasted for about 10 minutes.

Mr Silwenga said most roads in the school area became impassable after trees that were uprooted by the strong winds fell and blocked the roads.

He attributed the disaster to lack of rehabilitation works on both the school and staff houses which were built in 1965.

And Mishishi Primary School head teacher, Margaret Musosha, said her school has not been spared by the hail storms experienced last Friday.

Ms Musosha said a roof on a 1x 2 classroom block has been blown off, adding that no injuries have been recorded because the incident happened after all the children had knocked off.

She explained that the school is located in a termite-infested area which she said has also contributed to the roof being blown off with the first rain.

Meanwhile, Chinsali District Education Standard Officer (DESO), Charles Kabamba, said the office is yet to receive a comprehensive report from the Buildings Officer who is currently on the ground to assess the damage at all the three affected schools.

Mr Kabamba added that once a full report is compiled it will be submitted to Disaster Management and Mitigation Unity (DMMU) in the province for assistance.