Death toll in Cote D’ivôire rises to 59 amid devastating rainfall

At least 59 people have died in Cote D’ivôire after torrential seasonal rains triggered destructive flooding across several parts of the country.

The latest casualty figure was announced by government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly after a meeting of the Council of Ministers in Abidjan, as authorities continue to monitor the unfolding disaster.

Weeks of intense rainfall have caused rivers to overflow, submerged homes and businesses, damaged roads and bridges, and left many communities struggling to recover from widespread destruction.

Emergency teams remain deployed in the worst-affected areas to rescue stranded residents, provide humanitarian assistance, and restore access to communities cut off by floodwaters.

Government officials are also carrying out assessments to determine the full extent of damage to public infrastructure and private property while preparing additional relief measures for affected families.

The flooding has disrupted transportation, interrupted economic activity, and increased concerns over the vulnerability of urban communities during the annual rainy season.

The disaster in Cote D’ivôire comes as neighboring Ghana battles one of its most severe flooding emergencies in recent years following record-breaking rainfall that began on Monday, June 29.

At least 12 people have died in Ghana, while more than 38,800 residents have been displaced by floodwaters that swept through parts of the Greater Accra, Central, and Western regions.

Accra recorded about 140 millimetres of rainfall within a single day, making it one of the highest daily rainfall totals recorded in years and overwhelming drainage systems across the capital.

Some of the hardest-hit communities include Alajo, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kaneshie, Odawna, Adabraka, Dzorwulu, Darkuman, Atomic Junction, Mallam, Weija, Spintex, and parts of Tema.

Floodwaters forced the Ghana Grid Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana to shut down several substations as a precaution against electrical hazards.

Emergency operations were further complicated after a major fire broke out at a rubber factory near Kwame Nkrumah Circle while firefighters worked through deep floodwaters to contain the blaze.

In the Central Region, flooding rendered sections of the strategic N1 highway impassable, while drainage systems in parts of the Western Region collapsed, to disrupting transport, trade, and commercial activities.

President John Dramani Mahama has deployed the to military to support rescue operations and approved the release of up to GH¢350 million from the Contingency Fund to finance immediate relief, recovery, and mitigation efforts for affected communities.