Destructive floods hit capital Accra, Ghana, leaving 3 dead and 4 missing

Heavy rains hit capital Accra, Ghana on June 18, 2018, causing destructive floods across the city and leaving at least 3 people dead and 4 missing.

The floods caused chaos across the capital and left many people trapped in their homes and vehicles. Local media report numerous destroyed homes and Greater Accra Region under 1 m (3.3 feet) of water.

At least 3 people have been killed, including a young doctor whose car was swept away as she tried to drive through a flooded area on the ‘Naa Pra’ lagoon at Rasta, a suburb of Teshie in the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipality.

Reports say the flood current was so heavy that it toppled the car over the broken bridge into the lagoon where she was carried away. There were two other people in the car, but they survived the incident.

"I think she had closed from work at about 11pm. When she got here, the whole place was flooded. The bridge broke and the car started moving into it. People gave her a metal bar to help her out but it was not working. I kept shouting but we couldn’t get any help,” one of the residents said, pointing to the abandoned dilapidated bridge that needs to be constructed.

The flooding has again exposed the poor drainage system in Accra, which comes in for severe criticism every rainy season. Despite announcements of flood prevention plans, the city regularly suffers flooding during June, the FloodList's Richard Davies reports.

Many in the city have recently marked the third anniversary of the June 2015 flood and fire disaster, Davis noted. During heavy rain, an explosion and a fire occurred at a petrol station in Accra, reportedly killing over 250 people, many of whom had gone there to take shelter from the flooding and rain. Days after the disaster, President Mahama said that 'Drastic steps are necessary here if we are to permanently address this perennial problem. We will intensify efforts to expand and modernize our drainage system.'

The city flooded again in June the next year, as it did in June 2014.

The Ghana Meteorological Agency said this year’s rains would be greater than what was recorded in 2017.

Featured image: Destroyed car after floods hit Accra, Ghana on June 18, 2018. Credit: GhanaWeb