The death toll from Monday’s devastating floods that swept across large parts of the Greater Accra Region has risen to nine, with emergency responders warning that the number could increase as rescue and recovery operations continue.
The latest casualty figure was confirmed by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), whose personnel have been leading rescue efforts in some of the worst-hit communities following hours of torrential rainfall that submerged roads, homes and businesses across the capital.
Speaking on JoyNews, a member of the Public Relations Department of the Ghana National Fire Service, Alex King Nartey, said the Service had so far confirmed nine flood-related deaths based on reports received from officers deployed across the affected areas.
“So at this time now, the confirmable or confirmed figures that I have, the only case is in the case of about nine people,” he stated.
Mr Nartey explained that although reports of additional deaths had emerged from other locations, the Fire Service could only speak to cases that had been officially verified by personnel on the ground.
“I’m hearing there are other deaths in other places. As of now, from my men on the ground,” he said.
Rescue operations
The confirmation comes as emergency response teams continue search-and-rescue operations in flood-ravaged communities where residents remain stranded after floodwaters overwhelmed drains and entered homes.
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana Police Service and other emergency agencies have been deployed to rescue trapped residents, evacuate vulnerable people and assist motorists whose vehicles became submerged.
Several roads across the capital were rendered impassable, forcing motorists to abandon their vehicles while thousands of commuters were left stranded.
Widespread destruction
Among the hardest-hit areas were Alajo, Circle, Kaneshie, Odaw, Adabraka, Achimota, Weija, Madina, Adenta, Lapaz and sections of the Spintex Road, where floodwaters disrupted transport services and commercial activities.
At the Circle transport terminal, floodwaters submerged dozens of commercial vehicles, forcing drivers and their mates to climb onto the roofs of their buses, with some resorting to eating meals while waiting for the water levels to recede.
The flooding also compelled several institutions to suspend activities. The University of Ghana halted lectures and advised students to remain indoors, while the Ghana School of Law postponed scheduled examinations, citing concerns over student safety.
Calls for long-term solutions
The latest disaster has once again renewed concerns over Accra’s persistent flooding challenges, with residents calling for urgent improvements in drainage infrastructure, stricter enforcement against building on waterways and enhanced waste management practices.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid flooded roads and waterways, comply with safety directives and immediately report emergencies to the appropriate agencies.
As emergency teams continue assessments in affected communities, officials say efforts remain focused on rescuing those in distress, supporting displaced residents and establishing the full extent of the destruction caused by one of the capital’s worst flood events in recent years.
