GES orders closure of nearby school after building collapse at Accra New Town kills 3

By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei 

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the immediate closure of the Accra New Town Experimental D/A School in Accra following the collapse of a nearby building that has claimed three lives and several others injured.

The directive, issued after a high-level safety inspection, bars students from returning to campus until structural assessments are completed and authorities are satisfied that the environment is safe.

Director-General of GES, Ernest Kofi Davis, said the Service will convene an emergency meeting with technical experts to determine the safety of the school’s facilities.

“We are going to work with the regional and national teams, including the estate department, to ensure that the remaining structures are safe for use. If they are not, we will advise students to avoid those areas,” he said.

The precautionary move follows Sunday’s collapse of an uncompleted four-storey building within the school’s premises, which had reportedly been converted into a makeshift church where worshippers had gathered.

According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), a distress call was received at 5:01 p.m., prompting a swift response from emergency teams.

In total, 23 individualsb15 females and eight males, including minorswere trapped in the incident. Through coordinated rescue efforts involving the Ghana Police Service, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and the Ghana Ambulance Service, 20 people were rescued and transported to health facilities.

However, three victims two females and one male were confirmed dead.

Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, said the figures were verified after cross-checks across hospitals and emergency teams.

“And thank God, 20 are alive in various hospitals the Police Hospital, Mamobi and a private facility,” he stated, adding that while several minors were among those affected, none of the deceased were children.

The incident has raised renewed concerns about the safety of uncompleted structures and their proximity to learning environments, with authorities prioritising safety checks before allowing academic activities to resume.

Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing, while investigations have been initiated to determine the cause of the collapse.

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