The 2015 Accra floods resulted from heavy continuous rainfall in

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

, the largest city in

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

. The rain started on 1 June 2015. Other causes of this flood is as a result of the improper planning of settlement in Accra, choked gutters which block the drainage system and a few other human factors. The floods have resulted in heavy traffic on the roads in the city and also a halt in commercial activities as markets were flooded and workers trapped. Mayor of

Accra Metropolitan Assembly Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is the political and administrative authority for the city of Accra. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly has a general assembly which is constituted by about 102 members: two-thirds are elected representatives and on ...

, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije described the flooding as critical. At least 25 people have died from the flooding directly, while a petrol station explosion caused by the flooding killed at least 200 more people.

Affected areas

Kaneshie

The Kaneshie market and its surroundings were submerged, preventing vehicles from moving.

Graphic Road

Graphic Road, home to some automobile companies and a hub for scrap dealers and other squatters, was heavily flooded. The

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

Ghana and Rana Motors showrooms were completely submerged.

GOIL fire

On June 3, 2015, a GOIL fuel station near

Kwame Nkrumah Interchange Kwame Nkrumah Interchange is a 3-tier interchange which was constructed to replace the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in the centre of the city of Accra, Ghana. It opened in 2016. The interchange is named in honour of Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrum ...

burnt with people and vehicles in the vicinity. The fire also burnt a Forex Bureau and Pharmacy nearby. Over 200 people were feared dead and bodies have been moved to the

37 Military Hospital The 37 Military Hospital is a specialist hospital located in Accra, on the main road between the Kotoka International Airport and central Accra. It is the largest military hospital in the Republic of Ghana after the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. It ...

. The hospital later announced they are unable to hold more bodies. The cause of the fire was yet to be determined. On 4 June 2015 the Mayor of Accra Alfred Vanderpuije, Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey, Nii Armah Ashitey and President

John Mahama John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November 1958) is a Ghanaian politician who has been the 14th president of Ghana since January 2025. A member of the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress (NDC), he served as the 12th p ...

visited the scene.

Response

— President Mahama declared 3 days' national mourning for the victims affected by the flood and explosion. The government also released GH₵ 60 million to support victims.

References