Part of the Game side of gate one ceiling that caved in
There was pandemonium at Accra’s foremost shopping arcade, The Accra Mall, when the ceiling collapsed like pack of cards, with patrons running helter-skelter in the morning melee.
Three persons sustained injuries after the ceiling carved in at the Game Shop (Gate One) of the shopping mall, near the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange yesterday.
One of the victims was injured in the head while two others also sustained minor injuries in the hands and legs. They were sent to the Mall Clinic for treatment.
An eyewitness account indicated that the incident occurred around 11:30am.
“While shopping, we heard a loud noise from the Game Shop side of Ghana’s biggest mall across the Nallem Clothing and rushed out for safety”, a shopper stated.
“Later, we saw other shoppers and workers rushing out from that part of the building for their lives. Afterwards, we enquired what was happening and were told that that ceiling had collapsed. Those who witnessed the incident told us that two persons were trapped under the debris,” the shopper added.
She disclosed that she later saw two people being rushed to the mall clinic for medical attention.
The shoppers and workers, who thought the whole mall was coming down, ran helter-skelter for their lives.
Personnel from the Airport Police, Accra Regional Police Command and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) later arrived at the scene to provide security to shoppers and workers.
The area has since been cordoned off to prevent shoppers from getting access to the area.
DSP Seth Kwarteng, Airport District Crime Officer, who led a team of police personnel to the area to provide security, told DAILY GUIDE that they received a distress call from the Accra Mall around 1pm yesterday.
He said when the police arrived at the scene, they discovered that the plaster board ceiling on the walkway near Gate One had carved in.
DSP Kwarteng confirmed that three people sustained injuries. The victims, he disclosed, had been treated and discharged by the Accra Mall Clinic.
“With the help from sister organizations such as the National Disaster Management Organization, (NADMO) and the Ghana National Fire Service, we have cordoned off the area to prevent customers from entering,” he disclosed.
Meanwhile, all shops near Gate One have also been closed while management of the mall has engaged cleaners and artisans to fix the ceiling.
President’s Sympathy
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo expressed his sympathies to those who got injured.
According to the President, he was disturbed about the incident.
The President called on Ghanaians to work together to ‘improve maintenance culture to forestall such accidents in future’.
In a tweet, the President wished the injured persons speedy recovery.
“I am disturbed to hear of the incident at the Accra Mall. Let us all work together to improve our maintenance culture. Speedy recovery to the injured,” he tweeted.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)