PORTIONS of two buildings collapsed at different locations in Accra and at Nkawkaw this week, which left one person dead, while 70 people escaped unhurt.
In the first incident, about 40 tenants of a two-storey building were evacuated, following the collapse of portions of their house at Bubuashie in Accra last Wednesday.
A 90-year-old man, his over 80-year-old wife and a 13-year-oid girl who were transfered in the rubble were rescued by some residents.
In the second incident, a young woman, identified as Mavis Dede, was killed when part of the Assemblies of God Church collapsed at Accra Town, a surburb of Nkawkaw last Monday.
Dede, was among 30 people who were having a youth meeting in the building about 8 p.m when incident occured.
Evacuation
When the Daily Graphic visited the scene at Bubuashie, a rescue team, comprising officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the police, was busily helping more than 40 tenants to evacuate the about 50-year-old building.
Some of the victims of the collapsed building, popularly known as Jerusalem House, located at Ayigbe Town, Bubuashie, said they had distributed their personal effects among friends and family members.
Others who were seen parking their belongings into trucks said they were yet to find accommodation elsewhere.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear, although residents said they had heard cracking sounds in the early hours of the day.
Tenants escape
A daughter of the landlord, Hellen Tettey, said her parents, who were old, had been relocated, since they could not stand the shock of seeing their house collapse.
According to Ms Tettey, some tenants on the ground floor were also not at home at the time the building collapsed.
She said the 90-year-old man and his wife who were tenants in the house were sitting in their porch when the concrete roof started caving in.
“Because they were old, they could not immediately escape, but luckily they were not hurt,” she said.
Police prevent thievery
A neighbour, Betty Ayittey, told the Daily Graphic that she was passing by when she saw some tenants of the house run towards the gate.
“Then I saw the concrete that separates the ground floor from the first floor falling and part of the building coming down,” she said.
The Kaneshie Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr Fleance Adika, said the police rushed to the scene immediately after hearing about the incident.
In the incident at Accra Town, Dede was reported to have sustained serious injuries and was rushed for treatment at the Holy Family Hospital in Nkawkaw but she was referred to the Komfo Anokye Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Other youth who were injured in the incident were treated and discharged from the Holy Family Hospital the same day.
Confirming the incident to the Daily Graphic, the Nkawkaw Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Seth Yirenkyi, said the body of the deceased had been deposited at KATH, awaiting autopsy.
He said Dede and the others were having a youth meeting in the church during a heavy downpour on that fateful day.
Mr Yirenkyi said the wall of a building close to the church caved in and exerted pressure on the part of the building where the youth were, causing that part to also collapse.
In the first incident, about 40 tenants of a two-storey building were evacuated, following the collapse of portions of their house at Bubuashie in Accra last Wednesday.
A 90-year-old man, his over 80-year-old wife and a 13-year-oid girl who were transfered in the rubble were rescued by some residents.
In the second incident, a young woman, identified as Mavis Dede, was killed when part of the Assemblies of God Church collapsed at Accra Town, a surburb of Nkawkaw last Monday.
Dede, was among 30 people who were having a youth meeting in the building about 8 p.m when incident occured.
Evacuation
When the Daily Graphic visited the scene at Bubuashie, a rescue team, comprising officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the police, was busily helping more than 40 tenants to evacuate the about 50-year-old building.
Some of the victims of the collapsed building, popularly known as Jerusalem House, located at Ayigbe Town, Bubuashie, said they had distributed their personal effects among friends and family members.
Others who were seen parking their belongings into trucks said they were yet to find accommodation elsewhere.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear, although residents said they had heard cracking sounds in the early hours of the day.
Tenants escape
A daughter of the landlord, Hellen Tettey, said her parents, who were old, had been relocated, since they could not stand the shock of seeing their house collapse.
According to Ms Tettey, some tenants on the ground floor were also not at home at the time the building collapsed.
She said the 90-year-old man and his wife who were tenants in the house were sitting in their porch when the concrete roof started caving in.
“Because they were old, they could not immediately escape, but luckily they were not hurt,” she said.
Police prevent thievery
A neighbour, Betty Ayittey, told the Daily Graphic that she was passing by when she saw some tenants of the house run towards the gate.
“Then I saw the concrete that separates the ground floor from the first floor falling and part of the building coming down,” she said.
The Kaneshie Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr Fleance Adika, said the police rushed to the scene immediately after hearing about the incident.
In the incident at Accra Town, Dede was reported to have sustained serious injuries and was rushed for treatment at the Holy Family Hospital in Nkawkaw but she was referred to the Komfo Anokye Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Other youth who were injured in the incident were treated and discharged from the Holy Family Hospital the same day.
Confirming the incident to the Daily Graphic, the Nkawkaw Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Seth Yirenkyi, said the body of the deceased had been deposited at KATH, awaiting autopsy.
He said Dede and the others were having a youth meeting in the church during a heavy downpour on that fateful day.
Mr Yirenkyi said the wall of a building close to the church caved in and exerted pressure on the part of the building where the youth were, causing that part to also collapse.
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| In Bubuashie, the occupants of this building had to be evacuted |
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| Stranded occupants of the Bubuashie building count their loses |
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