Guinea – 5 Killed by Floods in Conakry

by in Africa, News

Flash flooding hit Conakry, the capital of Guinea, between 17 and 18 May, leaving at least 5 people dead after flood water caused a wall to collapse in Dabondy neighbourhood in the district of the city.

Blocked drainage channels were said to have caused the flooding in Matoto, Conakry, Guinea. Photo: Office of the Mayor of Matoto

Heavy rain fell in the area from 17 May. However, local observers said the flooding was mainly caused by blocked drainage channels. Images on Social Media showed piles of garbage up to 2 metres deep strewn around areas of the Dabondy neighbourhood. Local media reported that many more areas of the city are at risk of similar flooding due to neglected or blocked drainage systems.

Local authorities have since embarked on work to clear the drainage channels. Officials from the Matoto mayor’s office said they had cleared out a 5 metre deep channel that had been clogged with waste for 10 years. Authorities have also demolished some houses that had been built on the drainage channels.

Prime Minister of Guinea, Ibrahima Kassory Fofana, visited affected areas on 19 May.

At least 4 people died in flash flooding in Conakry in late July 2015 after 450mm of rain fell over a 4 day period.

After the floods of 18 May, 2019 in Matoto, Conakry, Guinea. Photo: Office of the Mayor of Matoto
After the floods of 18 May, 2019. Flood damage and drainage channel clearance in Matoto, Conakry, Guinea. Photo: Office of the Mayor of Matoto
Blocked drainage channels were said to have caused the flooding in Matoto, Conakry, Guinea. Photo: Office of the Mayor of Matoto

Mali and Ghana

Flash flooding hit other parts of West Africa over the last few days. At least 14 people died in Bamako, the capital of Mali, after flash flooding on 16 May, 2019. In circumstances similar to those in Conakry, local observers in Bamako blamed the flooding on blocked drainage channels.

Flooding also recently affected parts of Ghana, with deaths reported in Ashanti Region from 15 May, and in the capital Accra from 20 May. Accra’s poor and often blocked drainage systems are frequently blamed for flooding in the city.

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