A MASSIVE rescue operation began Thursday night to recover bodies of persons suspected to have been buried in the rubble of a three-storey building that collapsed at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region.
The lorry park and office building complex, which was under construction at the GPRTU Express branch terminal at the main market, was said to have collapsed around 7:00pm. Rescue workers from the Ghana National Fire Service, Police and Anglo- Gold Ashanti were busily working at the scene to find out any trapped victim.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that one woman identified as Aunty Ama aka Yaa Naa, a food vendor, was hit by a concrete block, causing injury to her. The Obuasi Municipal Police Commander, DSP Mathew Asante, who confirmed the incident, said rescue workers had ascertained that there was no person trapped under the rubble.
According to him, it was initially suspected that some people might be under the building before it collapsed, but stated however, that the operation so far had pointed to the opposite of initial thought. He indicated that the police had begun investigation into the cause of the disaster.
When DAILY GUIDE visited the scene a large crowd of sympathizers had gathered while heavy duty rescue machines provided by AGA were in operation. The cause of the collapse of the building was not yet known as some residents pointed to lack of technical know-how on the part of the contractor, Kwadwo Boateng of Kap Construction Company Limited based in Accra. Others identified the use of inferior building materials coupled with shoddy architectural designs as the main cause of the disaster. Chairman of GPRTU Express branch Kwame Opoku Boateng said they were at a loss as to what caused the accident, and said he would wait for investigations to be completed to make conclusion.
According to him, the GPRTU was constructing the building in partnership with the Municipal Assembly on the principle of Build Operate and Transfer (BOT). He said the drivers’ union had sunk a hooping GH¢3,500,000 into the construction that was expected to yield more economic benefit for the municipality.
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