Kasoa: Vocational School Building Kills 2 Students, 1 Other

A two-storey under-construction at Kasoa in the Central Region has killed two Richmerc Vocational Institute students and a carpenter after the building collapsed over the weekend.

According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the three were among dozens of individuals who were working to complete the building which would have served as a dormitory to the students of the school.

The incident occurred on Staurday, August 24, 2024.

“Five (5) unhurt individuals and twelve (12) injured persons were rescued. Sadly, three (3) victims — a carpenter and two students—died after being hospitalized. Seven (7) were treated and discharged, while two (2) remain in critical condition,” it said in a statement.

The two students who lost their lives in the accident are said to be females aged 18 and 16.

In an interview on News 360, ADO Alex Nartey, a member of the Public Affairs Unit of the Service confirmed the students were being used as labourers on the building.

The Service suspects that the building might have lost its structural integrity and thereby its collapse.

“We have a feeling that the building had lost its structural integrity. It’s one thing we are looking at and we will have to investigate to be sure of that… From what our men on the ground have gathered, there were a lot of structural deficits in the construction of this building and we will look into it…From what we gathered, there was no consistency when it came to the masons who worked on the building. If there is no consistency, one mason will come do a shabby job and another will come.”