Rescue teams were combing through debris in Accra’s Tabora area on Monday evening after a building collapsed, as the capital struggled with the aftermath of flooding that has already claimed at least 12 lives. According to Ghana National Fire Service spokesperson Alex King Nartey, emergency crews were working to free people trapped beneath the rubble. “As I speak to you now, there is a building collapse at Tabora. Our personnel are on the ground, doing their best to rescue people from the rubble,” Nartey told TV3.
Rescue operation
Firefighters have rescued more than 150 people across the capital during the day’s rescue operations, following torrential rains that caused severe flooding in several communities. Nartey reported that the confirmed death toll has risen to over 12 and warned that this number could increase, as several individuals have been reported missing.
According to him, a husband and wife died in Tema Newtown, one person was electrocuted in Alajo, and a woman and her child were killed in Achimota Agbogbloshie. Additionally, four people lost their lives in Odorna, and one man died in Achimota Abofu. “It appears that the situation may worsen, and you might be surprised at how high the death toll could rise, as many people are still unaccounted for,” he stated.
Attitudinal change
Nartey urged Ghanaians to change their attitudes towards environmental sanitation, arguing that blocked drains and poor waste disposal continued to worsen flooding despite government investments in drainage infrastructure. “The government can do their best with drainage systems but as a people, until we change our attitude, we will still be back here discussing the same issue,” he said. Heavy rains on Monday inundated large parts of Accra, leaving roads submerged, vehicles stranded and hundreds of residents displaced as emergency services continued rescue and recovery operations.
Nationwide crackdown
President Mahama has ordered a nationwide operation to clear blocked drainage systems and released emergency funds to support flood victims after torrential rains swamped parts of Accra. Following an aerial survey of the hardest-hit communities, Mahama announced that the government would convene a National Security Council meeting to strengthen its response to the city’s recurring floods, which have displaced residents and caused extensive damage.
He directed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, in collaboration with the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, to identify and remove obstructions in drainage channels. “We’re asking every district, together with the Works and Housing Ministry, to pinpoint blockages in the channels so we can prioritise their removal,” Mahama told reporters.
Enforcement efforts
The president stressed that enforcement efforts would go beyond demolishing structures obstructing waterways, insisting that debris must also be cleared to restore the free flow of water. “We’ll not only break the houses. We have to move the rubble out of the way because there’s no use breaking a house and leaving the rubble in the waterways,” he said. Mahama said the government was also pursuing long-term measures to reduce pressure on Accra’s infrastructure, including plans to establish a new urban growth centre outside the capital.
Long-term solution
He said a 20-year development plan was being designed to relocate major public institutions from Accra while developing new residential and commercial areas supported by roads, water and electricity. “We’ll do the roads, bring the water and electricity so that it eases the pressure on Accra as a city,” he said. The president expressed sympathy to families and businesses affected by the flooding and commended the Ghana Armed Forces, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana Police Service, the Ministry of Works and Housing, emergency responders and the 48 Engineers Regiment for rescue operations, including evacuations by boat.
Mahama also instructed the Minister of Finance to release money from the Contingency Fund to finance immediate relief for affected households. He urged greater public responsibility in protecting drainage systems and waterways, saying recurring flooding could only be addressed through sustained enforcement and improved environmental management. “This time should be different,” the president said.
Source: Jonathan Ofori
