The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Adentan Municipal Assembly, Ella Esiman Nongo, has confirmed that three people lost their lives following Sunday’s torrential rains, which triggered widespread flooding across Accra and surrounding areas.
Speaking to Citi News on Monday, May 19, Madam Nongo said the fatalities occurred in separate incidents within the municipality—specifically at Lakeside, Nanakrom, and New Legon.
“In Lakeside, we lost two people, including a four-year-old girl at Nanakrom and a gentleman around New Legon,” she reported.
The flooding was the result of nearly three hours of continuous rainfall beginning around 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 18. Several communities were submerged, with affected areas including Weija, Kaneshie, Adabraka, Adenta-Dodowa, Tema, and other parts of the Greater Accra Region.
Roads became impassable, vehicles were stranded, and key drainage infrastructure such as the Odaw drain overflowed due to the volume of water.
Emergency response teams were deployed across multiple locations. According to Madam Nongo, most of the stranded residents in the Ashiyie area were successfully rescued.
However, she emphasized the ongoing risks and significant damage caused by the flooding, particularly in low-lying and unplanned developments.
“One of our biggest challenges is that people are building on waterways. When it rains, there’s nowhere for the water to go,” she explained.
The MCE called for urgent reforms, including stricter enforcement of building regulations and a long-term plan to address the root causes of Accra’s perennial flooding problem.
“The time for action is now. We cannot continue to lose lives and property every rainy season,” she added.
