69 killed in two separate incidents in Cote d’Ivoire

Abidjan, July 2 (IANS) At least 69 people were killed in two separate incidents in Cote d’Ivoire this week, while several others were reported injured or missing in the accidents.

Torrential rains that hit the Abidjan district overnight from Sunday to Monday have killed 59 people, Ivorian Minister of Communication and government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly has said in Abidjan.

Speaking after a Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday (local time), Coulibaly said the highest death toll was recorded in the commune of Attecoube, west of Abidjan, where around 20 people lost their lives.

“In this commune, residents have unfortunately returned to sites from which they had previously been relocated,” the government spokesperson said.

He expressed the government’s condolences to the families of the victims and urged residents to comply with safety measures issued by authorities, including evacuating areas identified as being at risk, reports Xinhua news agency

The fatalities, which have caused widespread public concern, were caused by landslides, mudslides, and flooding in several neighbourhoods of Abidjan during the night from Sunday to Monday.

In another incident, at least 10 people were killed, and several others remain missing after a canoe carrying villagers capsized overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday between Avikam Island and Liboli Village in the Grands-Ponts region of southern Cote d’Ivoire, a security source told Xinhua on Wednesday.

The passengers, including several women and children, were returning to their village after purchasing cassava when the canoe suddenly stopped before overturning, triggering the tragedy.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene after receiving the alert and immediately launched search and recovery operations.

Search efforts are continuing to locate those still missing.

Further details are awaited.

–IANS

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