Death Toll Rises to Nine and Infrastructure Falters as Torrential Rains Ravage Greater Accra

Severe flooding triggered by torrential rainfall has claimed at least nine lives across the Greater Accra Region, with nine other individuals reported missing in the Awutu Senya East Municipality. The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) confirmed the rising death toll as rescue operations intensify in submerged communities. Among the identified victims is 25-year-old Michael Ofori Tachie, who was electrocuted during the deluge, and a man in his 60s whose body was discovered along the Alajo railway line. In the Awutu Senya East Municipality, a desperate search is underway for three people swept away while seeking safety, alongside a mother and her two children who remain unaccounted for after being caught in strong currents.

The capital's infrastructure has been severely crippled, with major arteries including the N1 Highway, Mallam, Spintex, and Kaneshie becoming impassable. At Tse Addo, numerous vehicles were nearly entirely submerged by rapidly rising waters. To prevent further casualties and protect equipment, the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) were forced to temporarily shut down the Mallam and Achimota substations, leading to widespread power outages. Amidst the chaos, a peculiar scene unfolded along the Tema Motorway where residents engaged in a "shopping spree," retrieving provisions, gas cylinders, and electronic gadgets swept out of a warehouse by the floodwaters.

Institutional responses have been swift but remain stretched. The Methodist Church of Ghana, led by Presiding Bishop The Most Rev. Prof. Johnson K. Asamoah-Gyadu, has opened its facilities to provide temporary shelter for those displaced by the rains. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the GNFS are conducting active rescues, particularly in low-lying areas like Alajo where residents have pleaded for help for stranded elderly family members. Academic activities have also been disrupted, with the University of Ghana and other tertiary institutions postponing examinations due to the hazardous conditions.

The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) has warned that the crisis is far from over, predicting continued rainfall and thunderstorms throughout the week. Meteorologist Frederick Cudjoe attributed the intensity of the downpours to a storm system moving westward from the Togo-Benin coastline, which has already caused significant flooding in Lomé. As the region remains on high alert, the disaster has renewed urgent calls for improved drainage infrastructure and stricter enforcement of building regulations on waterways. Experts warn that without proactive climate adaptation measures and sustainable urban planning, the financial and human costs of these recurring weather events will continue to escalate.