5 including 2 military couple die, 2 missing after Sunday’s downpour
Five persons have been confirmed dead during Sunday evening’s rainfall which lasted for about four hours in the Greater Accra Region.
Two others including a child were also carried away during the downpour and are yet to be accounted for.
The Director of Communications at the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), George Ayisi confirmed the deaths to the Ghanaian Times in an interview in Accra yesterday.
He said the floods swept away a child at Sowutoum whilst two adults were washed away at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange with one body already retrieved.
Mr Ayisi said that at Adjei Kojo, a suburb in Ashaiman, a military pick up vehicle carrying a soldier, his wife and a female passenger were also washed away.
“Still at Adjei Kojo, an unidentified well-built man was also found dead.’’
Mr Ayisi said a man was trapped at Agbogbloshie but was rescued by a NADMO team, adding that there were uprooted trees in some areas including Ridge.
Five bodies, he said, have so far been retrieved and sent to various mortuaries.
The Communications Director said efforts were ongoing by a search party team which consists of personnel from NADMO, Ghana National Fire Service and the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces to locate other bodies that were washed away.
With the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) reporting of high volumes of rains this year, he advised the public and drivers to be cautious during downpours and park their vehicles rather than driving through the floods.
If possible, he cautioned the public to desist from walking during rainfalls to avert being carried away by rain waters.
Other areas that flooded include Kaneshie First Light, Pamprom, Baah Yard, Dansoman Junction, Odorkor, and Atico.
The Ghanaian Times observed that attempt by drivers to wade through the waters resulted in huge traffic to the affected areas.
Other vehicles and tricycles were also submerged in the floods.
Some persons took advantage of the situation to make economic benefits by carrying others to a safer place for a fee of GH¢1.
The Ghanaian Times reported in its April 9 edition that at least three persons were confirmed dead in Accra following the downpour a week ago.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) has predicted more heavy rains in the coming weeks and warned the general public to take precautionary measures to avoid endangering their lives.
GMA predicted that more of such downpours were expected at least three times a week.
According to the Head of Metrological Forecast Office of GMA, Michael Padi, regular distilling of gutters and keeping gutters free of rubbish could help in curtailing the perennial flooding in Accra.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
N/B: ACCRA FLOODS./SAMBA/PHOTO BACK UP 15/4/2019
