The President of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE), Engineer Ludwig Annang Hesse, has criticised the decision to clear the site of the collapsed, abandoned school block in Accra New Town immediately after rescue operations, warning that it could undermine investigations into the incident.

Speaking on The Pulse on Monday, Mr Hesse said the appropriate next step after rescuing victims should have been the systematic gathering of evidence to determine the cause of the collapse.

According to him, standard engineering and disaster response protocols require that once evacuation is completed, investigators move in to collect samples and document the scene before any debris is cleared.

“To our surprise, when we got there, the place had been cleared. I heard the NADMO official say that they had completed phase one, which was rescue, and that phase two was to clear the site,” he said.

“Actually, phase two should have been to gather evidence. Our expectation is that stage one is to rescue people — you do whatever it takes to save lives. Stage two is to bring in engineers to collect the evidence required for the structural investigation. Unfortunately, if you do not allow time and you start clearing, a lot of evidence gets lost,” he explained.

He expressed concern that the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) proceeded with debris clearance, a move he believes could compromise critical evidence needed to establish the true cause of the collapse.

Mr Hesse cautioned that failure to adhere to such procedures risks leaving key questions unanswered and could hinder efforts to prevent similar incidents in the future.

At least three people have died, while 20 others are currently receiving medical treatment following the collapse on Sunday, 29 March.