Death Toll in Deadly Accra Floods, Goil Fire Surpasses 150
The death toll from the deadly Accra floods and a devastating fire at a Goil filling station at Kwame Nkrumah Circle Wednesday has surpassed 150, Graphic Online can confirm.
It is even feared that the death toll is closer to 200, but Graphic Online is yet to independently verify this figure.
Accra is a scene of devastation following the floods, which were occasioned by torrential rains, leading to loss of lives and the destruction of properties worth millions of cedis.
Scenes of floating vehicles in drains, collapsed structures and overnight pools greet the eye in several parts of the capital.
The fire at the Goil filling station alone claimed over 100 lives, while flooding in other parts of the capital accounted for the remaining deaths.
News of the disaster has been met with nationwide shock and anger, with a section of the public calling for heads to roll immediately.
The Mayor of Accra, especially, has been widely condemned by members of the public, who have laid the blame for the flooding primarily at his doorstep.
Social media commenters pointed Thursday that Mr Alfred Okoe Vaderpuye has consistently failed to deliver on promises to end flooding in Accra.
Celebrated playwright, Uncle Ebow, echoed the public’s anger and misgiving about Mr Alfred Okoe Vaderpuye’s leadership, when he called on the Mayor to fix Accra’s problems and desist from collecting undeserved awards.
Uncle Ebow’s remark was in apparent reference to the ‘Best Mayor in Africa’ award which was handed to Mr Vanderpuye recently.
President John Mahama, who has described the development as ‘catastrophic’, declared a three-day mourning period in honour of the dead Thursday evening.
The President has also made available Gh₵60 million to offer relief to the families of the victims.
Early on, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo described
Wednesday's tragic flooding in Accra as a "major tragedy" and a "very big, big bad day" for Ghana, stressing that it was time for a permanent fix to Accra's flooding menace.
For his part, former President Jerry John Rawlings called for the demolition of structures on waterways, which he said had contributed to the flooding.
He suggested that if he had a bulldozer, he would have proceeded to destroy such illegal buildings.
"I wish I had a bulldozer," he said.
- See more at: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/44197-update-death-toll-in-deadly-accra-floods-goil-fire-surpasses-150.html#sthash.owEX019f.dpuf
It is even feared that the death toll is closer to 200, but Graphic Online is yet to independently verify this figure.
Accra is a scene of devastation following the floods, which were occasioned by torrential rains, leading to loss of lives and the destruction of properties worth millions of cedis.
Scenes of floating vehicles in drains, collapsed structures and overnight pools greet the eye in several parts of the capital.
The fire at the Goil filling station alone claimed over 100 lives, while flooding in other parts of the capital accounted for the remaining deaths.
News of the disaster has been met with nationwide shock and anger, with a section of the public calling for heads to roll immediately.
The Mayor of Accra, especially, has been widely condemned by members of the public, who have laid the blame for the flooding primarily at his doorstep.
Social media commenters pointed Thursday that Mr Alfred Okoe Vaderpuye has consistently failed to deliver on promises to end flooding in Accra.
Celebrated playwright, Uncle Ebow, echoed the public’s anger and misgiving about Mr Alfred Okoe Vaderpuye’s leadership, when he called on the Mayor to fix Accra’s problems and desist from collecting undeserved awards.
Uncle Ebow’s remark was in apparent reference to the ‘Best Mayor in Africa’ award which was handed to Mr Vanderpuye recently.
President John Mahama, who has described the development as ‘catastrophic’, declared a three-day mourning period in honour of the dead Thursday evening.
The President has also made available Gh₵60 million to offer relief to the families of the victims.
Early on, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo described
Wednesday's tragic flooding in Accra as a "major tragedy" and a "very big, big bad day" for Ghana, stressing that it was time for a permanent fix to Accra's flooding menace.
For his part, former President Jerry John Rawlings called for the demolition of structures on waterways, which he said had contributed to the flooding.
He suggested that if he had a bulldozer, he would have proceeded to destroy such illegal buildings.
"I wish I had a bulldozer," he said.
- See more at: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/44197-update-death-toll-in-deadly-accra-floods-goil-fire-surpasses-150.html#sthash.owEX019f.dpuf
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