Floods kill at least 12 in Ghana and about 20 in Ivory Coast
Heavy rain flooded Accra and parts of Ivory Coast, killing scores of people and prompting rescues as officials warned of more downpours.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Days of heavy rain have killed people in Ghana and Ivory Coast, where flooding and landslides hit major urban areas and stretched emergency crews. Officials in Ghana said at least 12 people had died, while a source cited by Reuters put the death toll in Ivory Coast at about 20.
Ghana’s National Fire Service spokesperson Alex King Nartey told local media on Tuesday that the confirmed death toll stood at 12 after heavy rain began a day earlier. Nartey said the number could rise because several people were still missing.
In Accra, Ghana’s capital, torrential rain on Monday inundated roads and homes, according to AFP, AP and Reuters reporting. Rescue teams worked overnight as residents became trapped or stranded by rising water.
Greater Accra Regional Fire Commander Rashid Kwame Nisawu told AFP that crews had rescued more than 400 people by Tuesday. He said firefighters were also pumping water out of houses and assisting residents cut off by the flooding.
Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organisation said emergency calls started early Monday as people realised water was entering their homes. Mariam Dongyela Millah, the agency’s deputy director of communications, described the flooding as severe and alarming.
In Ivory Coast, rain began on Saturday and also caused deaths, according to Reuters. The country’s authorities had not released an official toll, but Reuters reported that a source close to firefighters and the interior minister said about 20 people had died.
Government response under scrutiny
Ghanaian Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak said Monday that the government’s response could have been better after criticism from the main opposition New Patriotic Party. In a television interview, he apologised for the loss of life.
President John Mahama said on X that preliminary data showed about 140 millimetres of rain had fallen on Accra. He compared that with about 56 millimetres, which he said was the highest single-day rainfall recorded last year.
Mahama said changing climatic conditions were one driver of the problem. He also pointed to human behaviour and said the government would act against illegal structures blocking waterways.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency urged people in Accra to prepare for more rain this week. Emergency workers remained focused on rescues, clearing water from homes and tracking missing people after the flooding.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.