Three killed as unfinished building collapses during church service in Ghana

A three-storey building in Accra, Ghana, collapsed during a church service on Sunday, leaving three people dead and 20 others rescued. The victims included two women and a man, according to Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak. The minister noted that emergency teams had cleared the site of most trapped individuals, with 90-95% confidence that no more people were inside the structure.

Operations to extract survivors continued into the early hours, with rescuers using floodlights to navigate the debris. The incident occurred following heavy rainfall, though the exact cause remains under investigation. The building, part of a school in the New Town area, had been left incomplete for years, prompting concerns among residents.

“What we can say is that there was a total of 23 people… It’s a very sad day for all of us,” said Mohammed-Mubarak. He also emphasized the challenges in confirming the number of individuals present at the time of the collapse, praising emergency responders for their swift action.

Witnesses described the building as poorly constructed and neglected, with no major maintenance since its initial build. “Everyone in the community knows the building is very weak, yet they allowed services and activities inside,” one eyewitness stated. The collapse has sparked renewed discussions about the safety of structures in Ghana, particularly after the 2012 incident involving a multi-storey shopping centre.

Images from the national fire service, shared on X, showed workers at the scene as crowds gathered in agitation. Rescuers had initially reported two deaths and 14 survivors, but the minister confirmed updated figures after cross-checking with ambulance services. Clearing the wreckage and ensuring no further casualties are expected in the coming hours.

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