12 more Deaths in Ivory Coast Landslides

Twelve people have been killed by overnight landslides in the Ivory Coast following weeks of heavy rain, an official said Thursday.

The deaths in the city of Abidjan bring the total number of victims to 23 since the rainy season began a fortnight ago.

The economic hub of Abidjan saw intense showers almost continuously for 48 hours from Tuesday, when four other people lost their lives.

General Fiacre Kili, an official with the National Civil Protection, confirmed the deaths and said they were caused by "heavy rains."

"The situation is bad and keeps getting worse," said Paulin Claude Danho, mayor of the Attecoube district of Abidjan, where half of the victims are from.

Three landslides have left 16 people dead over the past two weeks in Attecoube.

The victims lived in slums where "hundreds of thousands of people" are crammed into "poor housing," said government spokesman Bruno Kone.

"Most Ivorians are poor and cannot afford adequate housing," he added.

In June 2009, 21 people died in landslides in the Ivorian economic capital, compared with 11 in 2011 and seven in 2008.