Nearly three weeks after a building collapse at Accra’s North Industrial Area claimed three lives, the adjacent structure—declared unsafe and earmarked for demolition—still stands, raising renewed concerns about public safety and the pace of regulatory enforcement.
The incident, which occurred earlier this month, triggered calls for stricter adherence to building regulations and prompted investigations into the cause of the collapse. Emergency responders and officials at the time warned that the remaining portion of the structure was structurally weak and could also give way.
The Greater Accra Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Dennis Nartey, previously indicated that clean-up and securing works would continue at the site.
“Now it’s machine work. We want to continue collecting the debris so that tomorrow we can do the business centre and open up the place for business,” he said during the initial rescue and recovery operation.
However, a visit to the site nearly three weeks on shows that while much of the rubble has been cleared, the building marked for demolition remains intact.
Reporting from the scene on Wednesday, June 24, JoyNews correspondent Stephen Mensah described a restricted area cordoned off with barricades to keep the public away from the unstable structure.
“One of the notable features, once you get to the collapsed building site, will be the barricades. These barricades have surrounded the building that has been earmarked for demolition.
“You notice iron rods still sticking out of the building. Most of the rubble has been collected, but some rocks and debris remain at the site,” he reported.
Despite the safety concerns, commercial activity has resumed around the area, with traders operating just behind the cordoned-off structure as normal daily life continues nearby.
“One of the notable things is that businesses operating right behind the building are actively engaged in trading… people are going about their normal activities as if everything is normal, even though the building has been earmarked for demolition,” Mr Mensah observed.
Authorities have said technical assessments and legal processes must be completed before the demolition can proceed. The site remains under watch as stakeholders await final clearance to bring down the structure.