A building collapse at Avenor in Accra’s North Industrial Area has claimed the life of at least two persons and left several others injured, prompting renewed calls for strict adherence to building regulations and safety standards.
The tragedy occurred at about 4:25 a.m. on Sunday when the structure, reportedly used for both residential and commercial purposes, suddenly gave way, trapping occupants beneath the debris and triggering panic in the densely populated community.
Emergency response teams drawn from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces were immediately deployed to the scene to undertake rescue operations.
The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, confirmed the fatality in an interview with the media. He said three persons had been rescued from the rubble, while two others who sustained injuries were receiving treatment at the Ridge Hospital.
Rescue efforts were still ongoing as of Sunday, amid fears that additional victims could be trapped under the debris. The incident has left families and residents of the area anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.
Vice President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who visited the site to assess the situation, described the incident as a preventable tragedy and urged citizens and the local Assemblies to place greater emphasis on safety.
She stressed that many such disasters occur because established procedures and regulations are ignored.
“There are many things we can all prevent and it is about doing the right things. We know them; we do not need to wait to be told,” she said.
Expressing concern that some people, who were still believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed structure, the Vice President questioned why such incidents continued to occur.
“Because somebody did not do the right thing. When people struggle to do the right thing, all of us should support them. What is worse than somebody trapped in here? All I am saying is that let us abide by the rules, especially the rules governing the siting of properties, and not invite unnecessary tragedy,” she stated.
The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, announced that the government would establish a committee to investigate the cause of the collapse and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.
“We are going to set up a committee to investigate, but it will be very difficult for me to stand here and say when the report will be out. However, I believe we will move very swiftly so that we can prevent these things from happening,” he said.
Mr. Muntaka also called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to intensify the enforcement of building regulations and ensure that engineers and technical officers discharge their responsibilities diligently.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke