Residents of Accra New Town have shared the history behind the collapsed Experimental School building, an incident that reportedly led to fatalities.

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 Newtown building before the collapse

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

As of the time of filing this report, about three (3) people had been reported dead, while twenty (20) survivors are receiving treatment at hospitals in the capital city in the ongoing rescue efforts.

Eyewitnesses, in a video sighted by GhanaWeb, indicated that the structure had long been considered unsafe and had remained largely unused due to visible defects.

One resident, blaming weak enforcement of building regulations, argued that the tragedy could have been averted 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 had not used enough cement to erect the building. Since they erected it, no one has been using the building,” he said.

He further went on to provide background to the intended purpose of the structure, indicating that it was originally meant to serve as a school facility but was abandoned due to safety concerns.

“It was meant to be a school building, but we were never allowed to use it during my time in school. We were using a different school building. I don’t know why they [authorities] did not demolish it because it wasn't serving any purpose,” another resident shared.

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 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.

Describing the circumstances that led to the incident, the resident stressed that the presence of people in the building at the time was due to its use for a church service, adding that, “If not for the church service, no one would have been in the building at the time of its collapse.”

Newtown Building Collapse: What we know so far

Meanwhile, according to multiple reports, the building had previously been declared unfit for use by the assembly and was earmarked for demolition.

Before the collapse, images of the structure showed that the three-storey building was not fully completed.

Watch video below;

LIVE | Residents of Accra New Town recount the history of the four-storey building at the Accra Newtown Experimental School, raising concerns about its structural condition prior to the collapse. pic.twitter.com/9F8UsjVHs0

— The1957News (@The1957News) March 29, 2026