Khaberni - The National Fire Service in Ghana said on Tuesday that at least 12 people have died due to heavy rainfall that flooded large parts of the country.
The agency added that the victims include 3 women, 8 men, and a child, noting that more than 470 people have been rescued so far.
President John Dramani Mahama said that preliminary data showed about 140 mm of rain fell on Accra, which is the highest amount recorded in years, compared to about 56 mm as the highest daily rate recorded last year.
Mahama noted that the amount of rainfall is due to changing climate conditions, adding that it is beyond the government's control.
Accra regularly suffers from flooding during the rainy season, amidst ongoing factors such as weak drainage networks, unauthorized construction on waterways, and poor urban planning, which exacerbate the impact of heavy rains.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, a government spokesman said 300 million Ghanaian cedis "27 million dollars" would be allocated to flood relief efforts.
Mahama ordered the deployment of military and police personnel to support the National Disaster Management Agency and other security agencies in rescue and relief operations across the capital.
The neighboring Ivory Coast also suffered from heavy rains. The authorities in that country have not reported the number of deaths, but a source close to fire service personnel and the Minister of the Interior said the number was about 20 people.
