A SPELL of high winds destroyed one house at Hyde Park and badly damaged another at Wash Clothes, Mahaicony, both East Coast Demerara villages, last Monday. Visited on Christmas Day, the affected families counted themselves lucky to be alive after the Christmas Eve disaster.
The victims are 67-year old Bashkan and his two children, of Hyde Park and Amar Singh, 58, his wife and son of Wash Clothes.
A group, led by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Ganga Persaud and Permanent Secretary in that Ministry, Mr. Collin Croal, on Tuesday, met with those who suffered the consequences.
The residents explained that the winds shifted their houses off their bases.
Minister Persaud, in turn, assured them that the government will assist in whatever way it can until their lives are returned to normalcy and they seemed pleased with the assurance.
Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy also visited the area and promised supplies of paddy to those who are rice farmers.
The families were reportedly pleased with the efforts made by government to assist them in their current plight.