Mad rush for gold in Obuasi as historic Town Hall collapses after fire outbreak

Some residents of Obuasi in the Ashanti Region have flooded the site of the historic Town Hall building, which was recently gutted by fire and subsequently collapsed, in search of gold.

According to multiple reports circulating on social media, the building, which is said to have stood for more than 100 years, may contain gold beneath its remains.

The belief has reportedly prompted several community members to rush to the site to dig through the debris in search of the precious mineral.

In several videos circulating on social media, some residents can be seen digging through the remains of the collapsed building, hoping to find gold.

Some of the residents could also be heard saying, “We are hungry. Just Town Hall and we are digging. We have been hungry for long. These are blocks, and we are breaking them like that. Obuasi Town Hall is full of gold.”

According to the reports, some individuals have allegedly managed to recover gold from the site, prompting more residents to rush to the area in search of their share of the reported treasure.

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The more-than-100-year-old Obuasi Town Hall building, located at the Obuasi Central Market, housed more than 300 master tailors and their apprentices.

The building was gutted by fire on Saturday night September 5, 2026, destroying an estimated 300 to 400 sewing and knitting machines belonging to both master craftsmen and their apprentices.

The fire was eventually brought under control with support from three fire stations at Fomena, the Obuasi Municipality, and AngloGold, which deployed personnel and fire tenders to the scene.

Residents of Obuasi have flooded the site of the historic Town Hall building, which was recently gutted by fire, digging through the remains in search of gold. pic.twitter.com/nrvCfTjsQX

— we love ghana (@weloveghana042) September 11, 2026

Mad rush for gold as Obuasi residents rush to the site of the over 100-year-old Town Hall building, which was recently destroyed by fire, to dig for gold. pic.twitter.com/2D4laAyMID

— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) September 11, 2026