Three killed in Adentan floods as officials blame poor drainage and building practices

The Adentan Municipal Assembly has confirmed the deaths of three individuals following severe flooding caused by heavy rains across parts of Accra on Sunday, May 18.

According to Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Ella Esiman Nongo, the fatalities occurred in different areas within the municipality, specifically Lakeside, Nanakrom, and New Legon.

In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Madam Nongo stated that two of the deceased were from Lakeside, including a four-year-old girl from Nanakrom, and another victim, a gentleman, from New Legon.

The torrential rains, which began around 3:00 p.m. and lasted nearly three hours, submerged roads and left several neighbourhoods cut off. Communities including Weija, Kaneshie, Adabraka, Adenta-Dodowa, and Tema experienced extensive flooding as major storm drains, such as the Odaw drain, overflowed.

Emergency services managed to rescue many stranded residents in Ashiyie, but Madam Nongo cautioned that flood risks remain high in low-lying areas due to poor drainage infrastructure and unregulated construction.

“Because people are building on waterways, there is no exit route for the water when it rains. That's one of the main challenges we're facing,” she explained.

She underscored the urgent need for regulatory enforcement and structural reforms to address Accra’s recurring flood problems, particularly in flood-prone zones like Adentan.

“If we don't tackle indiscipline in our building practices and enforce the rules, these tragedies will keep recurring,” she warned.

Residents of Lakeside have voiced frustration, blaming recent floods on poor engineering associated with the construction of the East Legon Hills road. Local business owner Prince Ansah criticized the road contractors for diverting multiple drainage paths into a single outlet, worsening the flooding.

“To the best of my knowledge, I believe the problem lies with the contractor who worked on the road. In Ghana, whenever it rains, the situation becomes very bad, and here, we suffer a lot,” Mr. Ansah stated.

He called for improved engineering solutions, including deeper and more expansive drainage systems, to handle the volume of water during heavy rains.

Mr. Ansah further highlighted that incomplete drainage construction had contributed to the disaster. “The gutter was built only up to a certain point where it should have been extended but was abandoned halfway. The volume of water flowing in this direction is heavy, and because the drainage was left incomplete, the water gets blocked and flows back, leading to flooding,” he added.