10 dead in Ghana floods

Accra:  At least 10 people including eight children have died in a torrential downpour in Ghana, the west African nation's national disaster agency has said.

Four days of rain last week swamped the capital, Accra, and much of the central region.

The downpour came a year after over 150 people were killed in Accra following an explosion at a petrol station where people were seeking shelter during heavy rains.

"In all we have 10 to 12 who lost their lives during this rainy season," National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) regional coordinator Sandy Amartey told AFP yesterday.

"We have two women and an eight-year-old girl who were walking and a wall fell on them and they died," Amartey said.

"There is also a report of a nine-year-old boy who was electrocuted at Amamoma" to the west of Accra, he added.

Another six children also drowned, Amartey said.

Residents were angry that the flooding was causing deaths after the government promised last year to prevent similar tragedies.

"Every day they say they will solve this (flood) problem. But nothing changes. See all my properties have been destroyed," said Nii Nai, a resident of Adabraka, an Accra suburb.

NADMO has asked residents to stay away from rivers and low lying areas until the rain subsides.
"We are asking people to move away from the low lying areas," NADMO spokesman Kweku De-Graft said. "We ask them to move away to get the drains cleared so we are doing our part."

Ghana's rainy season begins in June and lasts until August with poor sewage infrastructure resulting in frequent flooding.