Accra at standstill; flood waters make roads inaccessible

The dawn to evening torrential rains in the capital Accra has made majority of the roads in the capital inaccessible.

There is heavy traffic in town. Distressed commuters tell Joy News vehicles have been stuck in chest-deep floods.

Greater Accra Regional Commander, DCOP Christian Tetteh Yohunu described Thursday’s rains as the “heaviest downpour in the past decades”.

The snail-pace vehicular movement has caused many vehicles to stay in the flood for hours without any hope in sight. Passengers are stranded in most bus terminals because vehicles are unable to move out of the terminals.

Severely affected areas include, Kaneshie, First Light towards Mataheko, Dansoman Junction on the Kaneshie Malam highway, Kwashieman intersection on the George Walker Bush Highway, Malam Junction, and Odorkor. Other areas are Osu, Ashaley Botwe, Ashaiman, Nungua and Teshie.

A caller who gave his name as Eddy told Joy News he has spent hours at the Kaneshie First Light with his hungry kids where the three-lane road has been reduced to one due to the deep flood.

The flood is at the tyre level of his Pick Up, he reports as he counts not less than six cars stuck in the flood with one “helpless” police officer trying to salvage the situation.

“The gutters are choked as water gushed out onto the road,” he observed.

Another frustrated caller advised persons who have not left office yet to try and pass the night there.

Meanwhile, Greater Accra Regional Commander DCOP Christian Tetteh Yohunu has advised motorists to avoid using roads covered by the floods as most gutters overflow their banks.

Although reports reaching Joy News indicate that most of the areas hit by the unprecedented traffic are without any police personnel, DCOP Christian Tetteh Yohunu insisted that his men are “already on the ground”. The patrol teams are also in town he added.

However, he noted that the police personnel are also "cautious" in discharging their duty as some of their vehicles also get stuck in the floods.

The Regional Commander sent a clarion call to the military, NADMO and other organizations to support the police in this dire moment.

He expressed his indignation at the indiscriminate siting of property on water ways, and admonished residents to adopt good behavioural attitude.

SHARE THIS POST

SOURCE;GHANAWEB AND MYJOYONLINE