An engineer involved in the investigation into the collapse of a three-storey building at Avenor has indicated that the structure may have been erected without the required building permit from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.
The engineer, Prince Kas-Avotri, made the observation while speaking to journalists at the site of the incident, which occurred on Sunday and resulted in two deaths, with two other people currently receiving medical care.
He explained that the absence of a permit suggests that the building may not have been developed using approved architectural or engineering plans, which are typically required to ensure structural safety and compliance with regulations.
According to him, investigations are still at an early stage, and further technical tests and modelling will be carried out before a final conclusion is reached on the cause of the collapse.
The engineer noted that one key aspect of the ongoing probe is to determine whether construction work followed any approved structural design, although the suspected lack of a permit complicates that assessment.
The collapse prompted a major emergency response involving the Ghana National Fire Service, the National Disaster Management Organisation, the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Armed Forces, with rescue and recovery operations now concluded.
The incident is the second building collapse recorded in Accra within a week, following another collapse at Adenta New Site on June 3, which left one person dead and several others injured.
The back-to-back incidents have renewed public concern over enforcement of building regulations, with calls growing for stricter monitoring of construction activities and compliance with permit requirements across the capital.
Source: myjoyonline.com