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The structure was weak—La Nkwantanang–Madina on Adenta New Site building collapse.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for La Nkwantanang–Madina, Ibrahim Fuseini Faila, has attributed the collapse of a three-storey building at Adenta New Site, which claimed the life of a woman, to structural weakness caused by exposed concrete and prolonged exposure to heavy rainfall.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, he said preliminary observations suggest the building was not properly protected during construction, leaving it vulnerable to the continuous downpour that preceded the collapse.
“This morning, I am yet to visit the people at the hospital, but I will visit the scene too,” he said.
According to him, some occupants on the upper floors attempted to escape by jumping off the building as floodwaters and structural instability worsened during the rainstorm.
“Some people who were on the first floor tried to jump off to safety because the building was submerging due to the heavy downpour, so some of them got injured,” he explained.
Mr. Faila noted that although the structure is a three-storey building, only the ground and first floors were occupied at the time of the incident.
He stressed that the building appeared weak, adding that the use of exposed concrete without proper roofing contributed significantly to its collapse.
“The building itself was weak, and that was why it submerged,” he said. “The area is not a waterlogged area, but because it was just concrete and not roofed, when it rains on it continuously, it weakens.”
He further explained that standard construction practice would have required protective measures such as screeding to safeguard unfinished structures from rain damage.
“Since they were yet to roof, they should have done overlay concrete, which is screeding,” he said. “Ideally, by regulation guidance, when they knew they were not ready to complete, they should have done the screeding so when it rains, it would wash over. But because it was direct concrete, it became weak.”
The MCE revealed that the deceased woman was on the first floor at the time of the collapse and was directly hit when the structure gave way.
“The woman was on the first floor, so she was directly impacted. The building collapsed on her, and that was why she died,” he said.
He added that a child was rescued from the same area but sustained severe injuries, while two other occupants on the ground floor were later found during the rescue operation.
“One child and the woman were rescued at the same place, and the child was directly affected. The child was severely injured. Two others were on the ground floor and were found at the last minute. She was screaming, and the noise is what led rescuers to them,” he noted.
The incident has raised renewed concerns about construction safety and compliance with building regulations, particularly during the rainy season.
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