The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has disclosed that 18 people lost their lives while 58 houses collapsed in the Central Region following torrential rains that battered parts of the region about two weeks ago, underscoring the growing human cost of extreme weather events across the country.

Providing an update to Parliament on Tuesday, June 30, on the recent flood disasters that have affected several parts of Ghana, the Minister said the destruction in the Central Region occurred before Monday's devastating floods in Greater Accra and should not be overlooked.

He explained that the earlier disaster severely affected several communities in the region, where many ageing mud and brick houses could not withstand the prolonged downpours.

"With your permission, I'll mention some information from the Central Region that also happened in the last two weeks," Mr Mohammed-Mubarak told Parliament. "In the Central Region, Mr. Speaker, in the last two weeks, we had 58 houses that collapsed."

The Minister said the extent of the destruction was partly due to the nature and age of buildings in many communities within the region.

"And for those of us who are very familiar with the Central Region and the kind of houses, because of the mud houses, some of them are bricks; some of the houses were over 100 years old," he explained.

He added that the disaster claimed numerous lives.

"Unfortunately, there too we lost 18 individuals as per the report that was sent to me in Cape Coast."

Government expresses sympathy

The Interior Minister used the occasion to extend the condolences of President John Dramani Mahama, the Government and the people of Ghana to families who lost relatives in the recent flood disasters across the country.

He acknowledged the hardship endured by thousands of flood victims, many of whom were forced to abandon their homes after floodwaters submerged residential areas.

"We know many people could not be in their homes and even sleep in their homes, but the government is doing whatever it can."

Flood disasters across Ghana

The latest disclosure comes as Ghana grapples with widespread flooding following Monday's torrential rains, which inundated large sections of Greater Accra, displaced thousands of residents, destroyed homes and businesses and disrupted transportation and economic activities.

According to the Interior Minister's latest briefing to Parliament, the Greater Accra floods have so far affected 7,761 households and 3,882 individuals, with 12 confirmed deaths and seven people still missing as rescue operations continue.

Emergency response agencies, including the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service, remain on the ground conducting search-and-rescue operations, assessing damage and providing humanitarian assistance to affected communities.