‘Evidence destroyed’ – GhIE slams NADMO over Newtown rubble clearance

The Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) has criticised the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) for what it describes as a flawed handling of the investigation into the collapse of a storey building at the Accra Newtown Experimental D/A School.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, March 30, the president of the institute, Ing. Ludwig Annang Hesse, expressed frustration over NADMO’s approach, particularly the decision to clear debris before crucial evidence could be collected.

According to him, removing the rubble prematurely has made it difficult for the institute to gather the evidence necessary to determine the real cause of the collapse.

“But the point is that when you listen to the NADMO people, they say we have two steps. The first step was an emergency to save a life. The second step was to clear the rubble. That is totally wrong. The second step should be to collect evidence. Every accident that occurs, you collect evidence to show who was culpable. And if you don’t go through that step and you go and put a bulldozer there to clear the rubble, then you’ve destroyed all the evidence that can be used to do an investigation to see where the faults were,” he said.

He further indicated that preliminary observations suggest a possible structural failure, particularly involving the building’s columns.

“The first pictures which came out yesterday, which we monitored on the radio station, showed that one slab was on top of the other. From an engineering point of view, we say that probably it was the columns that collapsed,” he added.

The building collapse occurred on Sunday, March 29, when an old school structure near the Experimental Junior High School—reportedly converted into a makeshift place of worship—caved in.

The Ghana National Fire Service reported the incident at 5:01 p.m., with rescue teams arriving within minutes. Initial reports indicated that 23 people, including three minors, were trapped under the rubble.

Through coordinated efforts by the GNFS, other emergency agencies, and local residents, 20 victims were rescued and transported to nearby health facilities for treatment. Tragically, three people—two females and one male—lost their lives. Their remains have been handed over to the police for preservation and further investigation.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of NADMO, Major (Rtd) Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, confirmed that all individuals trapped under the collapsed building have been recovered.