The Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has confirmed that an excavator operator who narrowly escaped death during a demolition exercise in Osu is safe and unharmed.

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, the mayor described the incident as a close call after a weakened structure collapsed onto the excavator the operator was working with during ongoing demolition activities in the area.

According to him, the operator emerged from the scene without a single injury, bringing relief to officials and residents who witnessed the incident.

“He is safe, and nothing happened to him,” he assured during the interview, stressing that the situation could have ended differently but for what he described as the operator’s careful handling of the machine.

The mayor explained that the demolition exercise forms part of efforts to remove unsafe structures in the capital, noting that some of the buildings targeted are abandoned, while others are still occupied. He added that several of the abandoned properties have unfortunately been taken over by squatters.

“We are demolishing all houses with cracks, dilapidated structures, and those that raise safety concerns,” he said, emphasising that the operation is guided by public safety considerations.

He further disclosed that the contractors engaged for the exercise are experienced professionals. “The people undertaking the demolitions are specialists. Even the one we used yesterday has demolished about 30 to 40 houses,” he noted.

Recounting the moment of the collapse, he said observers initially feared the worst, but the operator’s positioning and expertise helped avoid tragedy. “If you saw the way he positioned himself, you might have thought something would happen to him, but he is okay and doing well,” he added.

The mayor also highlighted ongoing public safety measures, including the introduction of toll-free lines for residents to report unsafe buildings in their communities for prompt action.

The demolition exercise is expected to continue in other parts of Accra as authorities move to address what they describe as growing risks posed by structurally weak buildings.