Occupants residing in unsafe buildings in the Central Region have been given 14 days to vacate the premises, according to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
The warning forms part of the government’s efforts to prevent further deaths resulting from the collapse of buildings weakened by structural defects.
Ghana has witnessed multiple fatalities and severe injuries resulting from devastating building collapses. These incidents have raised significant concerns among professionals in the built environment about construction standards, prompting calls for immediate action.
According to experts, the recent building collapses in parts of the country are attributable to the ongoing rainy season. On Tuesday, June 23, the Central Regional Director of NADMO, Kwesi Dawood, disclosed that recent flooding, mudslides, landslides, and building collapses across the Central Region have claimed 18 lives and affected more than 5,000 people in 13 districts.
He added that, “Out of these 58 building collapse cases, we have 377 internally displaced persons that we are attending to currently. In addition, we have over 5,000 flood disaster victims spread across 13 districts, aside from those affected by the building collapse incidents. We have also recorded 18 deaths”.
Recent building collapses
Last week, a building collapse at Gyagyaano in Cape Coast claimed the lives of two people in the early hours of Sunday, June 21. Reports indicate that the single-room structure caved in after heavy rainfall weakened its foundation, causing it to give way unexpectedly and trapping six occupants beneath the rubble.
The deceased have been identified as 12-year-old Anastasia Abakah and 40-year-old Adwoa Baduwa. Meanwhile, four survivors one male and three females are receiving treatment at the Ewim Polyclinic.
In April, residents of Awutu Papaase Number 1 in the Awutu Senya West District were in a state of despair after a building collapse left a four-year-old boy, Godsway Nuchuga, dead, and his 35-year-old elder brother, Seth Nuchuga, critically injured.
According to reports, a heavy downpour caused the collapse of the building in which the victims were trapped. Meanwhile, Seth Nuchuga is receiving treatment at the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital.
On Sunday, March 29, the collapse of an uncompleted four-storey building near the Experimental D/A School in Accra Newtown, claimed the lives of three.
A total of 20 were rescued after being trapped. The victims were part of a group of worshipers who had gathered inside the structure for service. Unfortunately, the collapse occurred while the service was ongoing, trapping several individuals beneath the rubble.
According to reports, 23 individuals, comprising 15 females and 8 males, including three minors, were caught in the collapse. In 2024, four individuals lost their lives after a three-storey building at Kasoa New Market in the Awutu Senya East Municipality in the Central Region collapsed.
Eyewitnesses described the tragic event, noting that the victims included young workers and trainees. “The sad incident happened at Kasoa. This three-storey building collapsed, and four people have died; may their souls rest in peace. This is so sad. Some are young girls learning a trade as well as workers. This happened at the Kasoa New Market.”
According to eyewitnesses, the three-storey building caved in while workers were on the second floor. Among the deceased was a carpenter who died on the spot. The other deceased persons lost their lives while being transported to the hospital.
A mason in his early forties lost his life on July 17, 2024, while working on a two-storey building in Sewua in the Ashanti Region. The deceased, Kwaku Gyemfi, was the lead constructor at the site. Witnesses reported that Gyemfi was attempting to reinforce collapsing pillars when the structure failed.
His assistant had warned him of the impending collapse, but he was trapped before he could escape. A school building in Adeiso in the Upper West Akim District of the Eastern Region collapsed on February 15, 2024, during a rainstorm.
The collapse injured 10 out of 50 students present, with four suffering severe injuries. Despite ongoing concerns about the building’s deteriorating condition, no preventive measures were taken.
The incident occurred as students and teachers sought shelter during a sports event. In West Legon, Accra, a two-storey shop complex collapsed during a fire incident, injuring four firefighters from the Legon Fire Station.
The fire service had responded to a distress call about a blaze at the location. The collapse occurred as they were working to extinguish the fire. Two of the injured firefighters were treated at the University of Ghana Medical Centre for their critical conditions.
Earlier this year, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) spent more than two hours rescuing a construction worker trapped under a collapsed building at the Kasoa New Market in the Central Region. The old residential structure was reportedly undergoing renovation by masons hired by the building’s owner.
In a similar development, a pit collapse at an illegal mining site at Kasotie in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region on Wednesday night, October 1, claimed the lives of seven illegal miners who were trapped underground.
According to reports, the pit collapse, which occurred on Wednesday night, October 1, also left four injured, while several miners were feared trapped. Meanwhile, rescue efforts were carried out by the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) in collaboration with emergency services and local volunteers.
For years, the country’s efforts to nip the canker in the bud have not yielded the needed results. Among recent measures taken to protect water bodies from illegal miners is the deployment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
The Secretariat includes the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), the Narcotics Control Commission, and the National Security Secretariat.
Addressing the security forces, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Amarh Kofi-Buah, directed the team to ruthlessly counter the activities of galamsey operators as they are the enemies of the state.
“Any recalcitrant entering into these zones is not merely a trespasser. They are an enemy of the state. You are to be firm. You are to be resolute. You are to be ruthless.
“And please, take it from me, you will take no obstructionist instruction from any big man. Remember, the biggest man in Ghana is the President of the Republic, and he’s the one who has sent you,” Mr. Kofi-Buah charged.
