Accra New Town Collapse: The church pastor was once arrested - Accra Mayor details

Several details continue to emerge following the fatal collapse of the Accra New Town Experimental School building, which has reportedly claimed 3 lives, while twenty (20) survivors are receiving treatment at hospitals in the capital city, in the ongoing rescue efforts.

The incident occurred on Sunday, March 29, 2026, after heavy rainfall caused the structure to cave in while some church members were worshipping in it.

See the state of the Accra New Town building before the collapse

Scores of worshippers were reportedly trapped under the rubble for hours before security services intervened to embark on rescue efforts.

Speaking on the tragic incident, the Accra Mayor, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, revealed that authorities had previously taken steps to prevent the use of the building for church activities.

Detailing earlier interventions by local authorities, the mayor stated that the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) had repeatedly stopped the congregation from holding services at the location.

“I have engaged the MCE of the area, and he told me he stopped the people from having church here,” he said.

Emphasising that the warnings were not a one-time action, the mayor disclosed that enforcement efforts had been carried out on multiple occasions, including the arrest of the pastor.

“He has stopped them not once, not twice, but they have even at a point arrested the pastor so that he cannot have a church service here,” he claimed.

The mayor further explained that despite these efforts, authorities were unaware that church activities had resumed, prior to the incident.

“He [MCE] was blindsided by the pastor. They never knew the man was having a church service yesterday and this has happened,” he stated.

Allotey assured the public of accountability, indicating that investigations would be conducted to identify those responsible.

“We are going to find out [who is responsible for this incident] and make sure we let the law work,” he assured.

Meanwhile, some residents have recounted the history behind the collapse of the school building.

One resident, blaming weak enforcement of building regulations, argued that the tragedy could have been avoided if authorities had acted earlier.

He further alleged that the contractors used inferior materials in the construction, particularly insufficient cement, which may have compromised the building’s structural integrity.

“If the laws were working in this country, this incident wouldn’t have happened. After this building was put up, it was discovered that the contractors did not use enough cement to erect the building. Since they erected it, no one has been using the building,” he said.

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Speaking on how long the building had remained in a defective state without intervention, the resident highlighted the prolonged inaction by authorities, questioning why it was allowed for it to be used for church service.

“The building has been there for a long time, over a decade. I don’t understand why they allowed people to use the building as a church premises to host a church service,” another added.

MAG/AE

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