C/R: Several communities submerged after heavy downpour

Several communities along the Ankaful Prisons-Elmina Junction Road have been completely submerged following three days of torrential rainfall.

Some residents in the affected communities including Ankaful Fie, Ntranoa, Amissano, Nkontrodu, Peace and Bethel Avenues have been rendered homeless with others who have no alternative places stuck in their rooms.

Other terribly hit areas include Abee, Simiw and Abrem where the Agona Health Centre has been affected.

Many structures and homes, including those belonging to the Ankaful Prisons, farms, parks among other facilities have all been submerged.

The streets are completely out of site with no vehicles commuting.

As at the time of filing the story a Fire Service rescue team had arrived at Kakum Cottage, near the SSNIT Flats, with a boat to evacuate distressed people whose property have been swallowed by the high tide moving flood waters, to safety.

Roads have been rendered unmotorable while the Nkontrodu Bridge had been completely swallowed by the floods.

A prison officer (name withheld), according to internal sources, is feared dead after he fell in the water during an operation on Saturday.

At Mepeasem, cars were seen completely sunk in the floods, so were many buildings, some with their walls collapsed.

A canyon at the Jukwa portion of the Cape Coast – Twifo-Praso road has rendered the road inaccessible and left hundreds of commuters and residents stranded at both sides.

The portion of the road at the tip of the bridge just before the Jukwa barrier was deeply eroded by the high current from a nearby river, which overflowed its banks due to the rains.

The situation has left the bridge in a deplorable state and, therefore, needs urgent fixing.

The affected portion of the road has since been cordoned off by security personnel to keep residents and commuters at bay.

The residence of the Chief Executive Officer of the EXIM Bank, Mr Lawrence Kwabena Agyinsem, very close to the scene was also terribly hit as he lost, at least, two cars to the floods after his wall was pulled down by the fast-moving water.

Owing to the situation, commuters from Cape Coast to Praso have to pass through Assin Fosu, pushing the transportation fare from GH¢22 to GH¢50 consequently.

Some affected persons who thronged the scene called on authorities to attend to the road with urgency because the situation was having a devastating effect on them.

“We were going for a funeral but were greeted by this situation here. We have been directed to use another town, but I understand it is also flooded. It doesn’t not look like the situation can be salvaged immediately and so we are returning to Accra,” a commuter, Mr Isaac Amponsah, said.

“I am a bolt driver and I have to deliver some goods at Domeabra but I cannot go, which means I cannot make sales today. It is very troubling.

“We need the authorities to do something about this bridge immediately,” another road user, Mr Daniel Nwonsah, said.

GNA