ACCRA, Ghana — Torrential rains sparked severe flooding across Ghana’s capital on Monday, killing at least three people and paralysing the city as homes, businesses and major roads were submerged under floodwaters, authorities and local media reported.
The three fatalities occurred in the low-lying Alajo district, one of the communities hardest hit by the downpour. Two victims were electrocuted when rising floodwaters came into contact with electrical installations inside their homes, while a third death was later confirmed by authorities. There are unconfirmed reports of a possible fourth victim, though officials have yet to verify that information.
President John Mahama blamed climate change and unchecked urbanisation for the disaster, noting that the city recorded approximately 140 millimetres of rain in a single day, “the highest experienced in several years” and nearly triple the previous year’s high. “That aspect of the problem is beyond our control because it is driven by changing climatic conditions,” the president said on X, while also warning of “the issue of human behaviour” and the consequences of building on waterways.
In the eastern suburb of Tse Addo, emergency responders and local volunteers used boats to rescue at least 15 children and an infant after rains that began at 3:00 am flooded the area. The Ghana Grid Company and the Electricity Company of Ghana temporarily shut down power supply from the Mallam and Achimota primary substations after floodwaters affected the facilities.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, directed all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to move into affected communities with emergency response teams to intensify rescue operations. The Ministry of the Interior urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel as police, military and firefighters were deployed to assist rescue efforts.
Residents expressed frustration at the recurring crisis. “Unfortunately my house is flooded. My 1970s collection of vinyl records is now underwater,” retired journalist Philip Mensah, 67, told AFP. Schoolteacher Patience Naa Adjeley Adjei said: “I have mopped my room more than eight times. I can’t even step out because my room is flooded, and outside is flooded.”
Flooding is common during Ghana’s rainy season, but residents say inundations have worsened in recent years due to rapid urbanisation, poor drainage infrastructure and weak enforcement of planning regulations. The Ghana Meteorological Agency warned that rain-bearing clouds were expected to persist over southeastern Ghana, raising the risk of further flooding.
