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The Ghana Institution of Engineers has strongly criticised the National Disaster Management Organisation over its handling of the aftermath of the deadly building collapse at Accra Newtown, warning that crucial evidence may have been destroyed.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, the President of GhIE, Ludwig Annang Hesse, expressed concern that the decision to clear the rubble before conducting a proper forensic investigation could undermine efforts to determine the exact cause of the disaster.
According to him, while emergency rescue operations were justified in the immediate aftermath, the next critical step should have been the preservation and collection of evidence rather than the rapid removal of debris.
He argued that prematurely deploying heavy machinery to clear the site may have erased vital clues needed to establish accountability and identify structural faults.
Preliminary observations by engineers suggest that the collapse may have been caused by a structural failure, particularly involving the building’s columns, after images from the scene showed slabs stacked on top of each other.
The incident, which occurred on March 29 at the Accra Newtown Experimental D/A School, claimed three lives and left about 20 others injured after a structure reportedly used as a place of worship caved in during a rainstorm.
Emergency responders, including the Ghana National Fire Service and other agencies, rescued several victims from the debris, while authorities later confirmed that all trapped individuals had been accounted for.
Meanwhile, NADMO Director-General, Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, has stated that rescue operations have concluded and efforts have transitioned to clearing the site.
The criticism from GhIE adds to growing concerns over building safety standards and the need for proper investigative procedures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
