Hotlines established for Melcom building disaster

The Government announced on Friday that hotlines have been established as part of the ongoing rescue effort aimed at ensuring that nobody is left behind in the rubbles of the Melcom building whether alive or dead.

The government, in a statement issued by the Deputy Minister of Information, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, appealed especially to those who live within the Achimota community and its immediate environs and who have relations or loved ones who have gone missing over the last 48 hours to call the provided numbers in order to assist the rescue mission.

The numbers to call are 023 4725999 and 026 4918886

Meanwhile, it said, the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) late on Thursday detained and continued to hold Mr. Carl Henry Clerk, the Ga West Municipal Works Director.

The statement said investigations had so far pointed to the fact that Mr. Clerk was the Works Director at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly at the time the building in question was constructed without permit but failed to take action though his attention was drawn to it.

The BNI upon the directive of President John Dramani Mahama commenced formal investigations on Thursday into the circumstances leading to the fatal collapse of the Achimota Melcom building.

Earlier on, Mr. Ramesh Sadhwani, a co-MD of Melcom and Mr. Victor Mensah, AMA Works Director, were questioned and granted bail.

The statement said the owner of the building, the engineer and the architect were being pursued by the BNI.