Six people lost their lives overnight in a landslide triggered by torrential rains in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s bustling economic capital.
The disaster struck Mossikro, a vulnerable neighbourhood in the city’s Attecoube district, where precarious housing sits atop unstable, rain-soaked earth.
National cohesion minister Myss Belmonde Dogo confirmed the tragedy early Wednesday, reporting six fatalities and seven others rushed to Yopougon University Hospital.
Survivor Audrey Toh Lou recounted the terrifying moment the earth collapsed onto her home as she lay resting beneath the pounding rain.
Heavy rains from May through July often unleash deadly floods and landslides across Ivory Coast, with dozens of annual casualties.
In June 2023, a similar landslide in Mossikro claimed five lives, underscoring the ongoing risks in poorly built, flood-prone neighbourhoods.
That year, heavy rains caused around 30 deaths nationwide, while last year’s downpours claimed more than 20 lives.
Abidjan’s population of six million is concentrated in informal settlements vulnerable to such disasters, where construction standards remain dangerously low.
The government’s recent clearance campaign demolished many informal homes, aiming to reduce risk, but faced backlash for displacing residents without adequate resettlement.
Critics, including Amnesty International, have condemned the policy for worsening the plight of already marginalised communities.
As the city mourns, the tragedy highlights the urgent need for safer housing and better urban planning to prevent future loss.