Two people have been rescued and rushed to hospital after a building collapsed near the Melcom Plus area at Avenor in Accra, with emergency responders continuing efforts to locate others feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, triggered an emergency response from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), with rescue teams from the Circle Fire Station and the Service’s National Headquarters deployed to the scene.
In an initial update posted on its official social media platform, the GNFS confirmed that rescuers were carrying out search-and-rescue operations following the collapse.
“Two victims have been rescued and rushed to the hospital. A few others are feared trapped under the rubble. GNFS rescuers remain at the scene to rescue all trapped victims,” the Service said.
Speaking from the scene during a live broadcast, GNFS Public Relations Officer ADO Alex King Nartey described the incident as a devastating building collapse and said firefighters were working urgently to rescue any remaining victims.
According to him, the collapsed structure included a mosque, where one of the rescued individuals was found.
“A mosque caved in. There was one of the rescued persons inside the mosque,” he stated.
Preliminary assessments by emergency personnel suggest that additional occupants may still be trapped beneath the debris, prompting an intensive rescue operation led by senior officers of the Service.
Nartey said the GNFS Director of Operations was personally supervising the operation while additional rescue equipment had been mobilised to support efforts at the site.
“For now, we suspect there might be at least two other people or one other person trapped inside,” he said.
The Fire Service noted that specialised equipment had been requested to help responders gain access to sections of the collapsed structure that remain difficult to reach.
Officials at the scene indicated that the affected building is believed to be a residential structure. One of the rescued victims was reported to be in critical condition and was receiving medical attention.
Rescue personnel continued combing through the rubble at the time of reporting, as anxious residents and onlookers gathered around the cordoned-off area awaiting updates.
The GNFS said operations would continue until all trapped victims had been accounted for, adding that further details would be communicated as rescue efforts progress.
