479 rescued in 72 hours as floods, fires and building collapse overwhelm emergency services

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has revealed the scale of the emergency that unfolded across Greater Accra and Tema over the past three days, rescuing 479 people as firefighters battled devastating floods, multiple fires, a fuel tanker inferno and the collapse of a four-storey building.

The operations, carried out between Sunday, June 28 and Tuesday, June 30, stretched emergency responders across the region, with personnel responding to dozens of incidents in what the Service described as one of its busiest periods in recent months.

Despite rescuing hundreds of people, five lives were lost during the three-day period, one person was injured and another remains missing after being swept away by floodwaters in Tema.

The most extensive rescue effort followed Monday's torrential rains, which inundated communities across Accra and Tema, trapping families in homes, vehicles and commercial areas.

At Tse-Ado Last Stop, a joint operation involving the Fire Service, the Ghana Police Service Marine Unit, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Ghana Armed Forces rescued 105 people, including 45 children, 40 women and 20 men, from rising floodwaters.

By Tuesday morning, firefighters had shifted their focus to the Adabraka-Odawna corridor, one of the areas worst affected by the floods, where more than 300 additional people were rescued from submerged communities.

However, the Service confirmed that four people—three men and one woman—lost their lives in the flooding despite the large-scale rescue operation.

In the Tema Region, emergency crews responded to 23 incidents within 24 hours, including flood emergencies, fires and fallen trees.

Firefighters rescued another 12 people trapped by floodwaters and helped more than 50 residents to safety at Tema Newtown.

One female trader remains missing after she was reportedly swept away by floodwaters near the Tema Community One Market.

Beyond the flooding, firefighters also battled a series of major fires.

At Asutuare Junction, four fire tenders were deployed to tackle a burning fuel tanker engulfed in flames.

The blaze destroyed the tanker and its contents, leaving one person dead and another injured. Investigators are yet to determine the cause of the fire.

Earlier on Sunday, firefighters successfully contained separate domestic and commercial fires at Lartebiokorshie and Labadi Kojo Sardine, preventing both incidents from spreading to adjoining properties.

Preliminary investigations suggest an overcharged solar battery may have caused the commercial fire.

Emergency crews also responded to a structural emergency at Tabora No. 6 after a four-storey building collapsed.

All 12 occupants had evacuated the building moments before it gave way, avoiding what could have become another major tragedy.

The Fire Service also prevented a major blaze at the Odawna Rubber Market near Kwame Nkrumah Circle from spreading to nearby structures after bringing the fire under control.

Summarising the three-day operation, the Ghana National Fire Service said its personnel rescued or safely evacuated 479 people, while responding to floods, fires, road emergencies and structural incidents across multiple locations.

The Service has urged residents to heed weather warnings, avoid flood-prone areas during heavy rains and immediately report emergencies as Ghana enters the peak of the rainy season.

The unprecedented rescue effort underscores the growing pressure on emergency services as extreme weather events, rapid urbanisation and ageing infrastructure continue to increase the frequency and scale of disasters in the capital.