The incident, which occurred amid heavy downpours, has raised fresh alarms about how well Accra’s buildings
are holding up in its flood-prone neighbourhoods.
The building, located opposite the Ashfoam Showroom and adjacent to Melcom Plus in the North Industrial
Area, housed both residential units and commercial spaces, including shops on the ground floor and a nearby
mosque that was also impacted. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud crack as a structural pillar gave way
before the entire structure came crashing down.
Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) personnel, along with other emergency teams, responded swiftly to the scene. Rescue operations involved excavators and sniffer dogs as teams searched through the rubble. Officials confirmed that two people were rescued from the debris—one in critical condition—while two bodies were recovered, including that of a laborer nearby. Searches continue for any individuals who may still be trapped.
Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang visited the site to assess the situation and express condolences to affected families. In an interview by Citinewsroom and MyJoyOnline The Vice President made this Statement:
“There are many things we can all prevent, and it is about doing the right things—we know them. We don’t need to wait. As we are standing here, we are being told that somebody is trapped in there. Why should this happen? So please, all I am saying is that let us abide by the rules. I said only yesterday or so that rules may not always make sense, and nobody likes them, but we need rules. Otherwise, nothing will function.”
She followed with
“We need to do proper investigation. We must all open ourselves to be held to account. It’s all of us.
This really maybe needn’t have happened. But what could we have done? What do we do to ensure that going
forward, we are not seeing many like these? We all know the right things to do. Let us make them
possible.
Because somebody didn’t do the right thing. When people step out to do the right thing, all of us should
support them.”
She also spoke about the vulnerability of the location to floods
“We know the place is prone to flooding. We know that this is a waterway. Let’s not invite unnecessary tragedy.”
A Pattern of Incidents
It's the second collapse in less than a week after a building also collapsed at Adenta New Site on June 3,
2026, during heavy rainfall. In that incident, one woman was confirmed dead, with four others seriously
injured. Rescue efforts there successfully saved several people, but the event again spotlighted risks
associated with ongoing construction and structural integrity.
Earlier in the year, a March 2026 collapse of an unfinished building used as a church in Accra New Town
claimed three lives and injured others, and this is the third in Accra in three months, which raises
concerns with enforcement of building codes.
Calls for Stronger Oversight
This was what an eye witness had to say about it
” I heard a pillar fall and I ran out of the building before everything came down.”
- Ground floor: Shops, including a maternity care facility.
- Upper floors: Restaurant and residential units.
- A nearby mosque was also affected. .
Many factors come into play in this unfortunate disaster, it could be because of the use of subpar materials because it’s a new building or the building was built on a waterway. However structural engineers have called for thorough investigations into these incidents, including audits of building permits and quality control in rapidly developing areas.
Local residents expressed shock and fear, with many calling for immediate government action to prevent further loss of life.
“These rains are exposing weaknesses we can no longer ignore,”
one eyewitness noted.As rescue operations in Avenor are ongoing at the sit, officials are appealing to the public for calm and cooperation. Updates will be provided as more details emerge.