Today, Friday, June 3, 2022 marks exactly 7 years of horrifying moments in the history of Ghana as over one hundred and fifty (150) people lost their lives in a twin-disaster in Ghana’s capital, Accra.
On June 3, 2015, torrential rainfall, which affected most parts of the country, flooded the Kwame Nkrumah Circle. Unfortunately, a fuel filling station was set into flames by a cigarette stub near the area which resulted in an explosion that was intensified by the floods.
Investigations revealed that the cigarette stub caught fire due to a fuel leakage at the then Goil filing station. Reports indicate that the devastating fire and flood catastrophe resulted in the death of 154 people, with several others sustaining various degrees of injuries.
Some of the surviving victims are still nursing their injuries 7 years after the disaster and have always called on government for assistance.
During the rains, the fuel station was used as a place of shelter as several people, cars and buses wait for the heavy rains to subside so they can leave for their various destinations. Sadly, reports indicate that all 96 people who sought shelter at the fuel station were killed by the twin-disaster.
Eye witnesses, who recounted the sad event, said people were wailing and crying for help but the speed at which the flames were travelling were so fast and dangerous that little could be done to save them.
The floods were attributed to a blockage of some parts of the Odaw river where people have built houses and also undertaken all manner of activities which prevent the run-off water from flowing directly into the Korle-Lagoon.
Visit by Top Government Officials
Ex-President, John Dramani Mahama, visited the disaster site three days later and announced a recovery fund of GHS60 million and promised to push for the enactment of a legislation that prohibits building on waterways and unauthorized places to prevent such occurrences in the near future.
Two years later, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo consoled the victims and expressed the Government’s commitment to ensure that the victims received what was due them.
The President said at a memorial service in remembrance of the victims organized by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in 2017 that “Government is determined to resolve the sanitation problem with regard to the construction of efficient drainage systems to avoid the repetition of the disaster”.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo further disclosed that construction of an underground sewerage system to absorb the large volumes of water during torrential rains “will begin soon”.
In 2019, a seven-member Special Disbursement Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr Seji Saji, Deputy Director of NADMO, disbursed GHC 814,000.00 out of GHC1,030,258.61 funds to support the victims. Part of the amount was from the donation of $200,000.00 by the Government of Benin and GHC 5,000.00 by Omni media.
7 years after the disaster
Over the years, there have also been several interventions from corporate bodies and the Government to compensate the families of the departed and the survivors.
However, seven years since the incident, it seems the country has not learnt much from it. The rains have just set in and most parts of Accra experienced floods in May 2022, in addition to some other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) has predicted more rains this year. Experts have attributed the perennial flood situation in Accra to the use of concrete floors in almost every house in the capital. This prevents run-off water from soaking into the ground, with the resultant effect being flooding with the slightest of rainfall.
Speaking on some of the remedies, Kofi Anokye, CEO of Koans Building Solutions, disclosed that the simple solution to this deadly problem is to construct community catchment areas to hold some of the volumes of water when it rains.
“Naturally, most of these sites were existent as parts of nature’s design but human activities have destroyed them and the result is what we see. Because of this, we have to identify the lowest area in each suburb, excavate these areas deeply and widely, plant trees and grass around them, and then channel overflow to join the main streams”.
Kofi Anokye
Preventing flooding in the country will call for a collective effort where citizens must adhere to measures put in place by the government and not build on water ways. Indiscriminate disposal of waste must also be checked. As it stands now, government must gather the political will to demolish all buildings and structures sitting on water ways and other unauthorized places, especially in Accra.
Mr. Anokye, who also backed this suggestion, indicated that the cost of demolishing such structures will be nothing compared to the gains in curbing the flood situations and providing access to water for communities.
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