At least 24 killed by flooding, landslides after days of heavy rains in Ivory Coast’s largest city

Abidjan, June 25

Flooding and landslides in Ivory Coast’s largest city of Abidjan have left at least 24 people dead following a week of heavy rains, four times the usual volume in some cases, authorities said on Tuesday.

Flood-related deaths are not uncommon in West Africa during the rainy season, but according to the Ivorian meteorological agency, the recent rainfall was particularly violent with more than 200 millimetres in some districts.

Informal settlements are particularly vulnerable because of poor storm drainage among homes often built quickly without zoning regulations.

The flooding and landslides have also caused “significant” damage across the city, flooding houses and roads, said the Ivory Coast National Office for Civil Protection. At least 271 people who were trapped after the rains have been successfully rescued, it said.

Officials last year demolished houses built along a lagoon in Abidjan as a measure to prevent deadly floods.