A desperate search continues for victims of Monday’s devastating floods at Alogboshie near Achimota, where eight people were swept away.
Only one body has been recovered so far.
Behind the grim statistics are shattered families, destroyed homes, and survivors struggling to come to terms with an unimaginable tragedy.
Personnel from the Ghana Police Service on Wednesday retrieved one body from a storm drain in the community as anxious residents looked on, hoping for news of their missing relatives and neighbours.
For many residents, the tragedy has transformed a familiar watercourse into a symbol of fear.
“There were two ladies who missed their kids. Apart from that, today they retrieved another body at this site just an hour ago. This stream has not always been like this. I’ve lived here for a long time. It used to be so small you could jump over it,” said resident Mandle Gyimah.
The scene bears the scars of the disaster. Waste materials litter the area, while the storm drain, widened over the years by erosion, stands as evidence of the force of Monday’s floodwaters.
Residents say the location is particularly dangerous because two drains converge there, creating a powerful channel during heavy rains. On Monday, the enormous volume of water generated a strong current that forced floodwaters back into nearby homes, inundating properties several metres away.
Families living closest to the drain suffered the worst damage. According to residents, six of the eight victims were swept away at this location.
The floods also destroyed eight wooden kiosks that served as homes for several families. One of the structures housed a family of four, including an infant, while another was occupied by two young women. Both the occupants and the structures were carried away by the raging floodwaters.
A surviving neighbour recalled the horrifying moments.
“About eight people died from here. The water carried them away together with their kiosks. This is where they lived with their families. Everything was washed away,” the resident said.
The disaster has left survivors traumatised and uncertain about their future. While some are considering relocating, others are struggling to rebuild after losing their homes and belongings.
Residents are calling on the government to urgently reconstruct the storm drain before the peak of the rainy season, warning that another heavy downpour could trigger a similar tragedy.
Meanwhile, volunteers from the community continue to search along the drain for the missing victims.
As rescue efforts continue, the government has begun distributing relief items to affected communities.
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, together with the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), has handed relief supplies to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for onward distribution to flood victims while commiserating with bereaved families.
Earlier, additional relief items were presented to the Krowor Municipal Assembly to support affected families within the municipality.
“We are doing no less than four affected municipalities in a day. If we can stretch to six or seven, we will do that,” the Minister said.
She added that relief efforts are prioritising the most vulnerable, including children, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and the elderly, to prevent their conditions from worsening after the disaster.
According to government figures, 22 of the 29 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Greater Accra Region were affected by Monday’s floods, underscoring the widespread impact of one of the capital’s most destructive flooding incidents in recent years.
By Stanley Nii Blewu
