The Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Major (Rtd) Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, has confirmed that all persons trapped under the collapsed building near the Newtown Experimental D/A School in Accra have been successfully recovered.
The four-storey structure collapsed on Sunday, March 29, while worshippers had gathered in the building for a church service. The incident resulted in the deaths of three people, while about 20 others sustained injuries and were rescued.
According to Dr Kuyon, search and rescue operations at the site have officially been completed, and authorities have now moved to the next phase of the operation.
He explained that the current phase involves the controlled clearing of debris to make the area safe for residents and allow normal community activities to resume. He cautioned that the debris removal exercise is a critical stage and warned the public to stay away from the site to avoid further danger.
Dr Kuyon also revealed that sniffer dogs were deployed during the rescue operation to help confirm that no victims remained trapped beneath the rubble.
He commended the swift and coordinated efforts of the emergency response teams who worked to rescue the trapped victims.
Authorities are expected to begin investigations to determine the cause of the building collapse, as concerns over structural safety continue to grow in parts of the capital.