A 32-year-old medical doctor at the Ridge Hospital and six others were killed by floods on Monday night following torrential rains that hit some parts of the country.
The affected areas were Teshie, Madina, Ashaiman, in Greater Accra Region and Agave in the Volta Region.
Four people got drowned in the floodwaters, while three others were electrocuted in the course of the rainstorm.
The deceased have been identified as Dr Adjoa Eshun Hayfron of the Ridge Hospital in Accra, a two-month-old baby girl (yet to be named), Hilda Halidzi, 38 and son Daniel Halidzi, 2.
Fifty-year-old Yaa Gayi and her two grandchildren identified as Mawulolo Dofey, 9 and Morkporkpor Dofey, 7, also perished.
However, bodies of Dr Adjoa Eshun Hayfron and the baby are still missing but that of the five others have been deposited at the various morgues pending autopsy.
Teshie Bush Road
At Teshie, Dr Adjoa Eshun Hayfron got drowned when she attempted to drive through the flood near the Demo bridge with her Hyundai Accent car.
Two other victims, who were with the doctor were saved by some rescuers in the area.
Briefing DAILY GUIDE, Superintendent Peter Yembillah, the Teshie District Police Commander, said around 11:30pm on Monday police received a report that a female driver had been carried away by the floods.
Superintendent Yembillah said the police, together with military personnel from the 48 Engineers Regiment, stormed the area and saw the vehicle submerged in the water but could not locate the body.
The following morning, according to him, personnel from NADMO and some chief fishermen in the area also helped to search for the body but to no avail.
“Preliminary information received indicated that Dr Hayfron was returning from church together with the two occupants when the incident occurred.
The two surviving victims, a male and female, later visited the station to give an account of what actually happened,” he added.
The Teshie District Police Commander revealed that the two surviving victims indicated that they were given a ride by Dr Hayfron in charge of a Hyundai accent with registration number GY 2217-13 while returning from church.
“Upon reaching the Demo bridge area, the victims said they realized that that the whole area was flooded but since other vehicles managed to pass through so they also attempted to drive through the flood.
In the middle of the water, they realized that their vehicle was being carried away and so they tried to rush out of the car. With the help of a rescue team, the two victims said they were rescued,” he narrated.
However, when Dr Hayfron attempted to get out of the vehicle she slipped and fell into the water, Superintendent Yembillah said.
He said the rescue team attempted to save her but the water carried her away.
The Teshie District police commander added that a rescue team is still on the Korle Lagoon searching for the body of Dr Hayfron.
The vehicle is yet to be removed under the bridge.
Madina
At Madina, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Afriyie Sakyie, the Madina Divisional Police Commander told DAILY GUIDE that around 10:30pm on Monday, the police received a distress call from a neighbour that a two month old baby girl had been carried away by the floods.
Later, the mother of the victim, identified as Ayikamgbe followed up to report that their house got flooded during the torrential rains and so she called on neigbours for help.
According to ACP Afriyie Sakyie, the mother said she was in the room with the baby and her two year old son when the area got submerged.
She immediately shouted for help and a male neigbour rushed into the room to help them.
The said rescuer was asked by Madam Ayikamgbe to pick the two month old baby for safety while she handled the other child.
In an attempt to escape with the baby, the rescuer fell into a nearby gutter and was being carried away by the water.
Another neigbour immediately jumped into the gutter and managed to save the rescuer leaving the baby.
“Efforts are being made to retrieve the body of the baby as well,” he added.
At Amasaman, two heavy trees fell in the middle of the road near ACP Junction causing heavy vehicular traffic.
A team of police personnel, led by the Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Francis Yiribaare, together with the youth of the area, managed to cut the trees using a hack saw machine to clear the area.
It took more than 45 minutes for the road to be cleared for vehicles to move.
Chief Superintendent Yiribaare, however, said no casualty was recorded during the rains at Amasaman even though some areas got flooded.
Some of the areas that were submerged included Nyabeman areas, parts of Samsam, Medie and Kpobiman.
At Ashaiman, Vincent Kubi reports that Madam Hilda Halidzi and her son got drowned at Middle East, a suburb of Ashaiman following the heavy downpour.
The bodies of Hilda Halidzi and Daniel Halidzi were discovered in the drains in the municipality.
The corpse of the mother was discovered behind the Melcom Building at Fitter Lane while the son was found at Middle East.
Daniel Acquah, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO coordinator) for Ashaiman, explained that the deceased had closed from church and were on their way home when the incident occurred.
According to him, “The mother had left something in the open space and she was rushing home to take the thing when they got drown in the rain.
He further stated that the torrential rains affected almost all the 17 electoral areas of the Ashaiman Municipality.
At Manhean, in the Ga West Municipality, Ebenezer Gyamerah reports that affected victims have called on the government to come to their aid through NADMO and support them with foodstuffs and other basic needs for survival.
According to Ernestina Serwaa, one of the victims, her entire family got affected by the rains after their house got flooded, destroying property worth thousands of Ghana cedis.
“We are really struggling here and we are pleading with the government to come to our aid and work on the gutter for us”
Adabraka
At Adabraka, some residents left their homes due to the rains that flooded some parts of the area.
The affected areas included Adabraka Sahara Park and Adabraka Odorna.
Both residents and night traders were taken unawares by the rains as the floodwaters rushed into people’s rooms and sales points within a spate of two hours.
Residents began trooping out of their homes in the night while traders were forced to abandon their items to save their lives.
It was a pathetic sight to behold, as frustration was written over the faces of the flood victims.
The flood, however, persisted till about 3am when it finally subsided.
Volta
At Agave in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region, three persons got electrocuted during the downpour.
He said the three deceased persons, who were members of the same family got electrocuted.
Assemblyman of the area, George Asafo told the reporter that that the three deceased persons had the roof of their house ripped off during the rains.
Their bodies have been deposited at the Sogakofe Government Hospital pending autopsy.
Meanwhile, a meteorologist has warned the public to expect more torrential rains.
Aviation Meteorology Inspector at the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Dr. Steve Nyarkotey Quao says the eastern parts of the country could experience the highest rainfall.
The month of June actually marks the onset of the monsoon rains, he said.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey with additional reports from Vincent Kubi, Ashaiman, Fred Duodu, Agave, Ebenezer Gyamerah, Manhean, and Nii Adjei Mensahfio, Adabraka.
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