Ivory Coast Flooding Kills 59 Since Mid-May

Heavy rains that began in mid-May have killed 59 people across Ivory Coast, government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly told a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Searches of flood-affected areas continue, and authorities said the toll could rise. In Abidjan, 10 people died in floods over two days, the government reported on Monday.

Large informal settlements have formed in flood-prone zones amid rapid urban growth. The government has conducted eviction and demolition operations in these areas for several years. Twenty people died in Abidjan's Attecoube neighborhood, where some victims had returned to previously cleared sites.

Floods also caused fatalities in neighboring Ghana, submerging buildings and roads in Accra. Deadly floods occur annually in parts of Africa during the May-to-late-July rainy season.