Accra: Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on Sunday urged Ghanaians to abide by the law and act responsibly to help prevent avoidable disasters. "As we stand here, we are told that somebody is trapped in there. Why should this happen? Because somebody did not do the right thing. Once people step out to do the right thing, all of us should support them," she remarked.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Vice President made these remarks during her visit to the scene of a collapsed four-storey building at the Avenor Industrial Area in Accra. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, has left two individuals believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
Vice President Opoku-Agyemang was accompanied by Mr. Muntaka Mubarak-Mohammed, Minister for the Interior; Mrs. Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, Greater Accra Regional Minister; and Mr. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive. She emphasized the critical need for accountability within the construction sector, highlighting that strict adherence to building regulations is imperative for the protection of lives and property. She also stressed that society must commend those who act responsibly and speak out against actions that could lead to disasters.
Rescue operations were underway at the scene, involving personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the Ghana Armed Forces, and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO). Mr. Alex King Nartey, Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, stated that the Service received a distress call about the incident at approximately 0500 hours and arrived at the scene within five minutes. Two individuals have been rescued from the collapsed structure, with ongoing efforts to reach others still trapped.
Mr. Nartey further explained that rescue teams were working to create access routes through the debris to facilitate the operation. He noted that a mosque and some shops located behind the building were also damaged by the collapse. Preliminary assessments have suggested that the building's lack of structural integrity may have contributed to its collapse.