The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has confirmed that at least 12 people have died, while more than 150 others have been rescued following the devastating floods that swept through parts of the Greater Accra Region after hours of heavy rainfall on June 29, 2026.
Providing an update on the rescue operations, GNFS Public Relations Officer Alex Nartey described the day as one of the busiest for firefighters, stressing that the service’s mandate extends beyond firefighting to include emergency rescue operations during disasters.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight, Nartey said rescue teams had been deployed to several flood-hit communities, with more than 150 people rescued as of 10:00 p.m. on June 29.
“The total number of people rescued will be in excess of about 150 people,” he said.
According to him, the successful rescue operations were carried out in communities including Kasoa, Taifa, Weija, Dome and several other flood-affected areas where residents became trapped after floodwaters submerged homes and roads.
Nartey also provided a breakdown of the fatalities, revealing that firefighters recovered the body of an elderly man believed to be in his 60s at Alajo before handing it over to the police for further investigations and preservation.
He said the confirmed death toll includes two people, a husband and wife, at Tema New Town; one person at Alajo; a woman and a child at Achimota Alogboshie; four people at Odawna; one person at Achimota Abofu; and one additional victim from another affected location, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to 12.
“The death toll that I can confirm is about 12 people. So far, the confirmed death toll is 12, but it looks like it could be more. However, for verifiable purposes, I’m sticking to 12,” Nartey stated.
He cautioned that the death toll could rise further as search and rescue operations continue, with several people still reported missing.
The GNFS spokesperson also blamed recurring floods on poor sanitation practices, arguing that investments in drainage infrastructure alone cannot eliminate the problem if residents continue to dispose of waste indiscriminately.
According to him, blocked drains and other human activities that obstruct waterways remain major causes of flooding across the country.
Nartey stressed that unless there is a significant change in public attitudes towards environmental sanitation, Ghana will continue to experience similar flood disasters despite improvements in drainage infrastructure.
The June 29 floods submerged several communities across the Greater Accra Region, destroying property, disrupting transportation and prompting large-scale rescue operations by the Ghana National Fire Service and other emergency response agencies.
