*** Floods Kill 59 in Ivory Coast Since Mid-May: Government | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Floods Kill 59 in Ivory Coast Since Mid-May: Government

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Abidjan: Flood has killed at least 59 people in Ivory Coast since the rainy season began in mid-May, according to the authorities, with the death toll expected to rise as heavy rains continue.

According to government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly, the deaths occurred during the first few weeks of the rainy season, which lasts from late May to July. Abidjan, the economic hub, has been hit most severely, with flooding and landslides wreaking devastation on densely populated suburbs constructed in flood zones.

Authorities reported that several of the fatalities happened in the Attécoubé district, where some inhabitants had returned to places that had been vacated due to flood dangers. Officials warned people to follow evacuation instructions and stay out of areas with elevated risks.

Seasonal flooding regularly kills people in Ivory Coast, but officials believe growing urbanisation and increasingly severe rainfall contributed to the situation in recent years.