Three people, two women and a man, have been confirmed dead after a three-storey building that was being used as a church collapsed on worshippers in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, on Sunday.
Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak reported that 20 others, most of them women and children, have been rescued and are being treated in various hospitals. He expressed '90-95% certainty' that no other individuals remain trapped in the rubble.
Emergency teams worked through the night under floodlights to search for additional victims within the remains of the structure.
The cause of the collapse, which coincided with heavy rains, remains unknown as investigations are currently underway. Locals noted that the building, which was part of a school in Accra's New Town area, had been left unfinished for several years yet was still in use.
What we can say is that there was a total of 23 people... It's a very sad day for all of us, Mohammed-Mubarak said. Initial reports had indicated two deaths and 14 rescues, but the updated figures reflect cross-checking with various emergency services.
The minister commended the quick response of emergency responders, who faced challenges in ascertaining how many were inside the building at the time of the incident.
The national fire service shared images of workers around the crash site as a frustrated crowd gathered nearby. Eyewitnesses reported hearing trapped individuals calling for help beneath the debris, with the structure described as being poorly constructed and lacking major maintenance since construction began.
One eyewitness commented, Everybody in the community knows the building is very weak, yet they allowed services and activities inside, highlighting the urgent need for better building regulations. Operations to search for additional worshippers and clear debris are ongoing, as the incident raises renewed concerns about the structural integrity of buildings in the country.
This unfortunate event echoes prior tragedies, such as the 2012 collapse of a multi-storey shopping center attributed to similar issues of poor construction.
