According to officials from Ivory Coast, at least 10 individuals have lost their lives due to the heavy rainfall and landslides that have been battering Abidjan, as reported by AFP.
As of Friday, the count provided by the military’s firefighting brigade GSPM is considered a provisional toll.
The initial landslide occurred around 3:00 am on Thursday in the Yopougon industrial zone, resulting in four fatalities and one injury.
In the same vicinity, a second landslide caused seven injuries and claimed the lives of four individuals, including a child.
Another fatality was discovered at dawn in the Attecoube-Mossikro area, which is not far from the aforementioned location.
Closer to the city center, specifically in Cocody, one person was swept away by the rising waters, and their body was subsequently found by local residents.
Firefighters were informed that three additional victims had been washed away, but the search to locate them was ultimately abandoned after proving unsuccessful.
Every year, the months of June and July bring heavy rainfall to Ivory Coast, yet the inadequate construction practices have resulted in an increased susceptibility to flooding, particularly in impoverished neighborhoods of the expanding West African metropolis, which is estimated to be home to 5.6 million individuals.
In mid-June, a family of five, comprising a couple and their three children, perished in a landslide in Yopougon.
Last year, during the rainy season, the populous district also experienced tragedy when six people were buried in a landslide following a night of intense rainfall.
The government reported last month that 15 children had lost their lives in weather-related incidents since the beginning of the year.
AFP
