Yesterday, Sunday, March 29, a three‑storey building belonging to the Accra Newtown Experimental School collapsed after heavy rainfall in the early hours of the day.

Later in the evening, the building collapsed while it was being used as a makeshift church for worshippers.

A resident who claims to have lived in Accra New Town for about two decades said the collapse, which has claimed the lives of three (3) people (two females and one male), didn’t come as a surprise to him, as many of them knew the building wasn’t fit to be used.

“I have been living here for over 20 years, and this building was very, very weak. Everybody in the community knew it was unstable, yet they allowed services and activities inside, which is very bad,” the resident said.

Two people were earlier confirmed dead after confirmed dead after the structure caved in on Sunday, with rescue teams, including the Ghana Police Service, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), using floodlights and heavy equipment to continue rescue operations after dark. Later reports confirmed another fatality, bringing the tally to three.

The Accra Mayor, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, confirmed the fatalities, and twenty people confirmed to be hospitalised after efforts by rescue teams. 23 persons (15 females, 8 males, including 3 minors) were trapped inside the building.

Another resident also indicated that, “They should have known that the building had collapsed. Very, very sad,” the resident lamented.

The cause of the collapse remains unclear, but the incident has already raised fresh concerns about safety standards and enforcement in the area.

Meanwhile, according to reports, the 14‑year‑old, three‑storey school block had already been declared unsafe by the Assembly and earmarked for demolition before it caved in on Sunday. Images showed it was not fully completed and structurally weak.

Similar cases of building collapse

In August 2024, a partially completed residential building collapsed in Madina, Accra. The incident occurred during construction and left several workers injured, requiring hospitalisation. Preliminary investigations pointed to poor construction practices, inadequate geological surveys, and weak supervision by municipal authorities as the main causes.

The collapse added to a string of similar incidents that year, including the Kasoa New Market tragedy, where four people died after a three‑storey building fell. In response, professionals in Ghana’s built environment called for mandatory geological surveys before permits are issued and stricter enforcement of building codes to prevent future disasters.

In early 2025, another collapse occurred in Adenta, Greater Accra Region, when a church building gave way during a worship service. Several congregants were trapped inside, though emergency services managed to rescue them.

The incident was attributed to structural weakness and poor maintenance, with visible cracks and incomplete reinforcements noted before the collapse. Public reaction was swift, sparking nationwide calls for stricter inspections of churches and public buildings, especially those hosting large gatherings.

Religious leaders, including Prophet Nigel Gaisie, publicly warned about unsafe structures in the Adenta–Pantang area, urging both spiritual vigilance and physical safety measures.