Six people have died following a landslide triggered by torrential overnight rain in Ivory Coast’s largest city, Abidjan, government officials confirmed on Thursday.
The disaster occurred in Mossikro, a neighbourhood within the Attecoube district, where the landslide destroyed three homes. National Cohesion Minister Myss Belmonde Dogo shared the grim update on social media, stating that seven other people were injured and taken to Yopougon University Hospital for treatment.
“We learned mid-morning of the initial damage caused by last night’s rain in Abidjan,” she wrote in a Facebook post. She described the event as a tragic consequence of seasonal weather patterns, which often bring destruction to vulnerable urban communities.
One survivor, Audrey Toh Lou, recounted the moment the disaster struck. “We were lying down when the rain started to come. The earth above fell on the house,” she told AFP.
Landslides and flooding are unfortunately frequent during Ivory Coast’s rainy season, which spans from May to late July. In June 2023, five people lost their lives in a similar incident in the same area, and that year saw roughly 30 rain-related deaths across the city.
Abidjan, home to over six million people, has long grappled with poor infrastructure, unregulated construction, and overcrowded informal settlements, particularly in flood-prone zones. Last year, the government began a large-scale initiative to demolish makeshift housing in high-risk areas, citing safety concerns. However, the campaign drew criticism from opposition figures and human rights groups, including Amnesty International, who said many displaced residents were left without proper resettlement.
Despite official efforts, tragedies like this week’s landslide underscore the persistent dangers posed by unregulated development and extreme weather in Ivory Coast’s urban centres.
