Rainy season in Côte d'Ivoire: 30 deaths since the beginning of April

Heavy rainfall in Côte d'Ivoire has caused the deaths of thirty people since the beginning of April, indicating a particularly intense rainy season, Ivorian government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly said on Wednesday.

Torrential rains followed by devastating floods are a recurring occurrence in Côte d'Ivoire's largest city, which has a population of nearly six million.

Precarious constructions in flood-prone areas, inhabited by poor populations, are rampant in this ever-growing metropolis.

On Wednesday, Amadou Coulibaly pledged that, in response to this "alarming situation", the government would "reinforce the pre-positioning of emergency services in at-risk areas" and continue the "destruction" of informal housing in these zones.

Particular attention will be paid to the coastal town of Grand-Bassam, near Abidjan, which has suffered spectacular flooding in recent weeks.

June and July are the heart of the rainy season in this tropical country, with an average of 300 mm of rainfall recorded in June alone.

Last year, 19 people died in several episodes of heavy rainfall.