Emergency teams have rescued hundreds of people after heavy rain submerged parts of Accra, the authorities said
At least 12 people, including a mother and child, have been confirmed dead in Ghana following floods triggered by heavy rain, the West African nation’s authorities said. The country’s meteorological agency has warned of more rainfall.
The floods hit the capital, Accra, and the nearby city of Tema on Monday, submerging roads, homes, and buildings, and cutting off access to several areas, videos shared on social media show.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) said it rescued more than 470 people as of Tuesday. It said the dead included three women, eight men, and one child. A rubber factory in the capital also caught fire amid the deluge.
GNFS spokesperson Alex King Nartey told AP that the mother and child were swept away in the Achimota-Agbogbloshie district. He said emergency services struggled to reach some areas and requested military assistance as rescue operations continued.
Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak said 7,761 households have been affected, with at least seven people reported missing.
Flooding is a recurring problem in Accra, where choked drains, rapid urban expansion, and construction on waterways have been blamed for worsening the impact of heavy rain. Earlier this month, downpours again flooded parts of the capital on the 11th anniversary of the June 3, 2015 flood and fire disaster that killed more than 150 people near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in the capital.
🚨 Massive flooding has hit Accra, Ghana 🇬🇭🌊
Heavy rains have left roads submerged, stranded commuters, and caused major disruptions across parts of the capital. pic.twitter.com/SlOwajsuQZ
— Paradise News Line (@Paradisenewslin) June 29, 2026
🚒👨🏾🚒 YOU CALLED AND WE SWIFTLY RESPONDED WITH COMPASSION ❤️
Thankfully, the raging fire that engulfed a rubber manufacturing factory at Odawna, near Nkrumah Circle in Accra, is being brought under control by our adept firefighters,… pic.twitter.com/iC0EQFMLgt
— Ghana National Fire Service (@gnfsofficial) June 30, 2026
Speaking after touring affected areas on Tuesday, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said preliminary data showed that around 140 millimeters of rain fell in Accra, the heaviest rainfall recorded in years.
Mahama said, “blocked drainage channels and structures obstructing the natural flow of water continue to worsen the impact of heavy rainfall in several parts of the capital.” He ordered the release of 300 million Ghanaian cedis (around $26.5 million) for flood relief and mitigation efforts, and warned against illegal construction on waterways.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency issued an alert on Tuesday, warning of a rainstorm approaching southern Ghana, with thunderstorms and rain expected to spread to parts of the middle belt.
Neighboring Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) has also been hit by deadly flooding after days of heavy rain. Ivorian National Cohesion Minister Myss Belmonde Dogo said more than a dozen people died in Abidjan, the country’s economic capital.
