Ghana on High Alert as Torrential Rains Sink Capital City of Accra

Economic activity has virtually come to a standstill in the city of Accra, Ghana, as torrential rains submerge major transportation routes and inundate millions of households, placing the lives of residents at high risk. The torrential rains come a week after Accra marked the one year anniversary of the June 3 flood and fire disaster that claimed 153 lives. Unfortunately, questions over government’s flood management procedures remain unanswered.

Although reports on fatalities remain sketchy, media reports indicate that the floods have claimed the life of a 3-year-old-girl who reportedly drowned at the nation’s industrial city of Tema, after falling in to an open drain overflooding with running water.

So far, Ghana’s meteorological authority has issued a public alert over the flooding, predicting that the rains will get worse in the coming months.

The torrential rains have seen military personnel from the 48 Engineers Regiment rescue flood victims as concerns over poor waste management continue to be the main cause of the flooding.

Ghana’s June 3 twin disaster, which resulted in the death of more than 154 Ghanaians including nurses, teachers, artisans, bankers, students, and children, has since been described as the darkest day in the history of the West African state.