45-minute downpour floods parts of China Afri Mall, strands commuters in Koforidua

Parts of the newly established China Afri Mall in Koforidua flooded after about 45 minutes of rain on Tuesday night, stranding commuters and disrupting traffic on surrounding roads.

The November 10 downpour inundated key intersections around the commercial facility in the New Juaben South Municipality, renewing concerns about persistent drainage problems.

Affected locations included the traffic light intersection near the mall, the stretch around Newlands Hospital and the vicinity of Dadis Bar.

Vehicles struggled to navigate the flooded roads, while pedestrians and other commuters faced difficulties crossing the affected areas.

According to Citi News, hundreds of commuters and passersby were inconvenienced. Some questioned why drainage problems remained unresolved despite earlier concerns raised by regional authorities.

Citi News sources linked the recurring flooding to narrow culverts at the intersection and disagreements over the mall's management.

The Eastern Regional Minister and the Regional Security Council had reportedly directed traditional authorities and the mall’s management to reconstruct the culverts before the facility opened.

The work was intended to improve stormwater flow and reduce flood risk.

However, the report says the directive was allegedly not implemented before the mall began operations.

Some road users criticised the traditional authorities for allegedly failing to comply. They argued that the absence of drainage improvements had contributed to repeated flooding during heavy rainfall.

The latest incident has renewed questions about enforcement of the directive and the responsibilities of those tasked with addressing the drainage challenges.