At least three people have died after torrential rainfall triggered severe flooding across Ghana’s capital, Accra, leaving homes submerged, roads impassable and several residents stranded.
Authorities said the flooding followed an intense downpour on Monday, during which about 140 millimetres of rain fell in a single day, the highest recorded in the city in several years.
President John Mahama attributed the worsening floods partly to climate change but also blamed rapid urbanisation and the construction of buildings on waterways.
“That aspect of the problem is beyond our control because it is driven by changing climatic conditions,” Mahama wrote on X.
He, however, said human activities had made the situation worse.
“Whenever government begins removing structures built in waterways, some people accuse us of being inhumane. Yet when disasters such as today’s flooding occur, the consequences affect everyone,” he said.
In the Tse Addo area of eastern Accra, emergency responders and volunteers used boats to rescue at least 15 children and an infant after floodwaters overwhelmed the community following hours of heavy rain.
Authorities recovered the body of a man believed to be in his 60s from the Alajo district, while local reports said two other people were electrocuted after rising floodwaters came into contact with electrical wiring inside their homes.
The Ministry of the Interior advised residents to avoid unnecessary movement as police officers, soldiers and firefighters were deployed to carry out rescue operations across affected areas.
Accra, home to more than five million people, experiences frequent flooding during the rainy season, with poor drainage systems, blocked waterways and rapid urban development often worsening the impact.
Among those affected was retired journalist Philip Mensah, who said floodwaters had inundated his home and destroyed his treasured collection of vinyl records.
Schoolteacher Patience Naa Adjeley Adjei also described her ordeal, saying she had spent hours trying to keep water out of her room but was unable to stop the flooding.
