Three lives have been lost following the collapse of a structure at Ayawaso North District, in what is increasingly being described as a preventable tragedy. The incident occurred on Sunday, March 29, 2026 when an old school building near the Experimental Junior High School at New Town, in Accra, reportedly converted into a makeshift place of worship, caved in, trapping several occupants.
A total of 23 persons – 15 females and eight males, including three minors were caught in the rubble. Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service responded swiftly, rescuing 20 victims who were subsequently taken to various health facilities for treatment. Sadly, three people, two females and one male lost their lives.
Reacting to the incident, a National Executive Committee member of the National Democratic Congress, Wonder Kutor Victor, demanded accountability from authorities at the Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly. He questioned whether due process was followed in approving the structure and called for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
Mr Kutor stressed that building permits are not issued by individuals but by the assembly and insisted that those responsible, whether for negligence or illegal approvals, must be identified and held accountable to prevent future occurrences.
The Chronicle commiserates deeply with the families who have lost their loved ones in the building collapse. No words can adequately ease the pain of such a sudden and avoidable loss. To those nursing injuries and trauma from this incident, we extend our heartfelt sympathies. But beyond the grief, there must also be anger, righteous anger because this tragedy should never have happened.
Let us be clear: this was not an act of God. It was a failure – human, institutional and systemic.
The position taken by Wonder Kutor Victor is one we fully endorse. His questions are the very questions every Ghanaian should be asking. Who approved this building? Which Engineer certified it as safe? Which authority looked the other way while an old structure was converted into a place of public gathering? These questions demand urgent and honest answers.
We have normalised negligence in this country. Buildings go up without proper supervision. Old and weakened structures are repurposed without structural integrity checks. Assemblies either lack the capacity or the will to enforce regulations. And when disaster strikes, we are fed the same tired lines “investigations are underway.”
The Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly cannot escape scrutiny in this matter. Neither can the officials responsible for inspections, permits, and enforcement. If approvals were granted, then those who appended their signatures must be held liable. If no approvals were granted, then it is an even greater indictment of a system that allows illegal structures to operate in plain sight.
This is not merely about one collapsed building. It is about the countless others standing today as ticking time bombs across the country. From churches, schools to residential buildings, many structures exist in clear violation of safety standards. Yet, enforcement remains weak, compromised or non-existent.
Leadership must answer. From assembly men and women to the District Chief Executive, responsibility must be clearly established and consequences enforced. Anything short of this will only embolden further recklessness.
The Chronicle insists that this tragedy be treated as a watershed moment. Not another file to be opened and quietly closed but a turning point that forces real reform in how we build, approve, and monitor structures in this country.
If we fail to act decisively now, then we must be prepared to write this same editorial again after the next avoidable disaster claims more innocent lives.
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