ABIDJAN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- At least 59 people have died in floods triggered by torrential rains in Cote d'Ivoire this year, Minister of Communication and government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly said in Abidjan on Wednesday.
Speaking after a Council of Ministers meeting, 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, warning that some people had reoccupied areas that had already been cleared due to danger.
The fatalities, which have caused widespread public concern, are linked to landslides, mudslides, and flooding in several neighborhoods since the beginning of the rainy season this year, with the deadliest incident occurring during the night from Sunday to Monday.
The most affected communes include Cocody, Bingerville, Treichville, Songon, and Attecoube, where heavy rains also flooded residential areas and cut off major roads due to rising waters.
Coulibaly urged residents to comply with safety measures issued by authorities, including evacuating areas identified as being at risk, adding that the government was continuing to assess the situation on the ground and that the death toll could still rise.
He expressed the government's condolences to the families of the victims.
Cote d'Ivoire's rainy season, which typically runs from mid-April to late September, is expected to bring particularly heavy rainfall this year, with cumulative precipitation forecast to reach as much as 1,500 mm in coastal areas and the Abidjan district.
