Torrential Rains Trigger Fatal Floods and Landslides in Ghana and Ivory Coast

ACCRA, Ghana — Heavy rains have caused floods and landslides in the capitals of Ghana and Ivory Coast, killing at least 24 people, authorities said Tuesday, as emergency crews continue rescuing hundreds of residents from submerged buildings.

Entire buildings and roadways were inundated in Accra on Monday, cutting off access to several parts of the Ghanaian capital and the nearby city of Tema.

Ghana officials confirmed at least 12 deaths, including a mother and child swept away in the Achimota‑Agbogbloshie district, according to Alex King Nartey of the Ghana National Fire Service.

In Ivory Coast, prolonged rainfall caused flooding that claimed more than a dozen lives, primarily in the Attécoubé and Yopougon districts of Abidjan, said Minister of National Cohesion Myss Belmonde Dogo.

Local reports indicated that at least nine victims were trapped under debris in the Mossikro neighborhood after the rains began on Saturday.

Video footage from Accra showed residents wading through waist‑deep water to rescue neighbors while vehicles were abandoned on flooded streets.

Emergency services faced major access problems and called in the military for assistance, Nartey said. Several neighborhoods remained partially flooded by Tuesday morning.

Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organisation reported a surge of emergency calls around 7 a.m. Monday as floodwaters entered homes. “The whole place was flooded. It’s alarming,” said Mariam Dongyela Millah, deputy director of communications.

The Ghana Meteorological Agency warned residents to prepare for additional rainfall later this week.

Deadly floods are common in parts of Africa, a region highly vulnerable to extreme weather despite contributing only a small share of global greenhouse‑gas emissions, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

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