Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo says authorities are fully focused on rescuing victims trapped beneath the rubble of the collapsed building at North Industrial Area following the arrival of excavators to support the operation.

The incident occurred at about 4:25 a.m., triggering an emergency response involving personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces.

The Minister says the focus of emergency responders is to rescue victims trapped under the rubble of the collapsed building in the North Industrial Area, now that excavators have arrived at the scene.

Speaking to the media at the scene, the Minister said that while there have been concerns about the delay in deploying the heavy-duty equipment, the priority is to ensure rescue efforts proceed as quickly as possible.

“We don't know why they did it, but what we have to be happy about is that finally the machine is here to work,” she said.

“Our priority is to get people out as quickly as possible,” she stressed.

Madam Ocloo said she was unable to explain the reason for the delay in the arrival of the equipment but noted that operational challenges or weather conditions could have played a role.

“Honestly speaking, I don't know why the delay. Perhaps they were waiting for the operator or perhaps because it was raining. I don't want to blame anybody because we are human,” she stated.

She indicated that security and emergency personnel remain fully mobilised at the scene.

“We have the men here. The military is here. The police is here. Everybody is also here. We have all the security apparatus here,” she said.

According to the Minister, authorities remain hopeful that those trapped beneath the rubble will be rescued safely.

“As early as possible, we are here to remove all the rubble. We are just praying that the people in there will be safe,” she added.

Addressing concerns about the increasing incidence of building collapses in Accra, Madam Ocloo said engineers are currently assessing the situation and will provide recommendations after completing their investigations.

“The engineers are working on it. They will give us feedback and advice on the way forward so that together we can comply with the necessary measures,” she noted.

Background

A major rescue operation is underway at the North Industrial Area in Accra after a building collapsed in the early hours of Sunday, June 7, leaving at least two people trapped beneath the rubble. Emergency teams are currently on site working to locate and rescue the victims as efforts intensify at the scene.