Accra: The morning of June 3, 2015, began like any ordinary day in Ghana's capital city Accra, with residents going about their daily routines unaware of the tragedy that lay ahead. Unfortunately, by evening, dark clouds gathered and heavy rains began to pour, turning what seemed like a normal rainy night into one of the darkest moments in the country's history. As floodwaters submerged parts of Accra, a devastating fire erupted at the GOIL fuel station near Kwame Nkrumah Circle, trapping and killing scores of people who had sought shelter from the storm. By the end of the night, more than 150 lives had been lost in a twin disaster that left the nation in shock and mourning.
According to Ghana Web, eleven years on, the events of that fateful night continue to haunt the memories of many Ghanaians. President Mahama, who visited the affected areas in the early morning of June 4, 2015, expressed his dismay at the situation and identified human activity as a contributing factor to the flooding caused by the heavy downpour. He mentioned that government officials worked throughout the night to support victims and emphasized the importance of taking preventive measures to ensure such a disaster does not occur again.
President Mahama further stated, "Often when these measures are drastic, you have a lot of sympathy and pressure not to take those measures but I think that the time has come for us to remove houses out of waterways and the public should understand that it is necessary to save everybody else." He described the heavy loss of lives on June 3, 2015, as "catastrophic and unprecedented."