Ghana's Capital Under Water

Relief workers and firefighters distributed emergency supplies and inspected damage in Ghana's capital Thursday after flash floods that drove thousands from their homes.

There were unconfirmed reports of at least two dead. Security forces used helicopters to pluck some stranded people from the high water.

The floods began after five hours of heavy rain Wednesday, wreaking havoc in several densely populated, low-income neighborhoods.

Several homes were still completely submerged Thursday.

Thousands of homes were flooded. Ghana's National Disaster Management Organization, which visited the worst-hit areas, said it was assessing the full extent of the damage.

Speaking on state television Thursday, Ghana's Housing Minister Kwamena Bartels blamed the disaster on poor drainage and on poor city planning.

Flooding typically hits Accra and other Ghanaian coastal cities each year during June and July, when the rainy season is at its peak.

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