At least 13 dead, several missing following landslide near Ivory Coast
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 2:25 PM PT — Thursday, June 18, 2020
More than a dozen people were killed in a landslide near the Ivory Coast this week. At least 13 people are dead and several more went missing after heavy rains swept through the city of Anyama.
At least 10 people have been hospitalized and nearly 20 homes were destroyed.
#CôtedIvoire : This Thursday, June 18 in the morning, 13 people died in a landslide in Anyama, near #Abidjan. The railway between the country and #BurkinaFaso is cut by torrential rains. pic.twitter.com/Cmc9bbxeog
— Ouest-Afrique / West Africa (@ouest_afrique) June 18, 2020
Officials warned of flooding in recent days, as the region is known for its intense rainy season and poor drainage systems.
“There were heavy downpours on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, and this downpour caused a landslide with a river of mud. All the houses on the flank of this hill were washed away. The death toll has been communicated by the minister of security: 13 dead, some survivors, but it is a provisional toll. The search is ongoing.” – Robert Beugre Mambe, Governor of Abidjan
People watch an area affected by landslide after unusually heavy rains that killed at least 13 people overnight in Anyama near Abidjan, Ivory Coast pic.twitter.com/M8Awe6ttYx
— Russell Boyce (@Cropperboyce) June 18, 2020
Anyama reportedly saw three times more rain this month than usual.
However, this is not the first time the region has experienced tragedy. In June of 2018, nearly 20 people died from storm related causes.