Avenor Building Collapse Kills Two

Panic and heartbreak struck Avenor in North Kaneshie on Sunday morning after a building suddenly collapsed, killing two people and trapping others beneath tonnes of concrete and twisted metal.

The tragic incident occurred around 4:25 a.m., sending shockwaves through the community as residents rushed to the scene amid desperate cries for help from beneath the rubble.

Emergency teams from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Armed Forces quickly mobilised to launch a major rescue operation.

Rescuers, as at the time the paper was going to bed yesterday, had pulled three people from the wreckage. Two victims have been confirmed dead, while another survivor is receiving treatment at the Ridge Hospital.

Eyewitnesses identified one of the deceased as a male worker who was well known in the area.

The building, reportedly used for both residential and commercial purposes, came crashing down without warning, leaving residents stunned and raising fresh concerns about building safety standards in the capital.

Heavy-duty excavators and specialized rescue equipment were deployed to aid the search for those trapped under the collapsed structure.

As rescue efforts intensified, Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang visited the disaster scene and delivered a strong message on accountability and compliance with building regulations.

“There are many things we can all prevent, and it is about doing the right things,” she told journalists. “As we are standing here, we are being told that somebody is trapped in there. Why should this happen?”

The Vice President stressed that many such tragedies could be avoided if existing building regulations were strictly enforced.

“So please, all I am saying is that let us abide by the rules. Rules may not always be popular, but we need them. Otherwise, nothing will function,” she said.

Calling for a full-scale investigation into the collapse, she urged all responsible parties to cooperate with authorities and accept accountability where necessary.

Meanwhile, anxious relatives and residents continue to gather at the scene as rescuers race against time in the hope of finding more survivors beneath the debris.

The cause of the collapse remains unknown, but authorities say investigations will begin once rescue operations have been completed.

As of the time the paper was going to bed, the rescue operation was still ongoing to find more people, whether dead or alive.