Floods kill 12 in Ghana, 20 in Ivory Coast – EnviroNews

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The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, confirmed the death of 12 persons following a severe flash flood that submerged major parts of Accra, the nation’s capital, and surrounding regions. There are also indications that no fewer that 20 residents lost their lives in Ivory Coast.

The service in Ghana, in an official update, revealed that the victims included eight men, three women, and a child, adding that emergency responders had successfully rescued over 470 trapped citizens.

President John Dramani Mahama, while assessing the situation, disclosed that preliminary weather reports indicated Accra recorded 140 millimetres of rainfall.

Mahama described the downpour as the heaviest the country had witnessed in years, contrasting it with the 2025 peak single-day rainfall which stood at 56 millimetres.

The scale of rainfall was driven by changing climate conditions, Mahama said, adding that it ​was beyond government’s control

He, however, assured citizens of prompt intervention, announcing that the government had approved the release of 300 million cedis (approximately 27 million dollars) for immediate flood relief operations.

Mahama further directed the Ghana Armed Forces and the Police Service to join forces with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to scale up search and rescue efforts.

Perennial flooding remains a critical challenge in Accra during the rainy season, with experts constantly blaming the crisis on poor drainage networks, blocked waterways, and unregulated urban development.

Meanwhile, reports from neighbouring Ivory Coast indicate that the country is facing a similar meteorological crisis.

While the Ivorian government is yet to publish an official casualty list, emergency sources and officials from the country’s interior ministry confirmed that at least 20 persons have lost their lives to the floods.