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Melcom shop collapse in Ghana: More survivors found Melcom shop collapse in Ghana: Negligence blamed
(about 2 hours later)
More survivors have been pulled out of the rubble of a multi-storey department store that collapsed in Ghana's capital, Accra, on Wednesday. Faulty construction caused a multi-storey shopping centre to collapse in Ghana's capital, Accra, killing at least nine people, officials have said.
Police said 69 people have been pulled out alive so far while the death toll has risen to nine. They say the building did not have the necessary permit and so had not had a safety inspection.
The BBC's Sammy Darko says that earlier on Thursday he saw the hands of three people under the rubble, as rescuers tried to reach them. President John Dramani Mahama said those responsible for the "negligence will pay a price".
President John Dramani Mahama has declared the area a disaster zone. Rescue efforts are continuing, with 69 survivors pulled out from under the rubble since Wednesday, police said.
He has suspended his campaign for next month's election. Mr Mahama suspended his campaign for next month's election, after the disaster at the Melcom store.
'Pregnant women trapped' There are about 1,500 people here - some of them have climbed roof tops and trees - trying to get a glimpse of the rescue operation.
He cut short a visit to northern Ghana on Wednesday, and visited the site of the collapsed Melcom store in Accra's upmarket Achimota neighbourhood. It is far more organised than on Wednesday, when there was confusion, frustration and anger as people demanded to know how the shopping centre, which opened earlier this year, could have collapsed.
He said he had ordered an investigation into why the building, which opened earlier this year, collapsed. But the government managed to calm people, after promising an inquiry to establish whether poor building standards had caused the disaster.
"Whoever is responsible for this negligence will pay a price," href="http://www.presidency.gov.gh/press-centre/general-news/melcom-disaster-whoever-responsible-negligence-will-pay-prez-mahama" title="Mr Mahama's comments on his website" >Mr Mahama said in comments posted on his website. I can see one man breaking down cement blocks with an axe, as rescuers clear the debris in order to create "wind passages" for people trapped underneath.
He acknowledged that the government did not enforce safety standards when high-rise structures were built. Deputy Health Minister Rojo Mettle-Nunoo is wearing a helmet and face mask, directing ambulances - like a traffic warden - as they rush survivors to hospitals in Accra.
"We are going to put in place mechanisms to check the safety and security of other high-rise buildings and find out if there aren't any more such disasters waiting to happen," Mr Mahama said. He also ordered an investigation into why the building, in Accra's upmarket Achimota neighbourhood, collapsed.
A spokeswoman for Ghana's National Disaster Management Organization, Kate Adobaya, said structural weakness had caused the collapse, AP news agency reports.A spokeswoman for Ghana's National Disaster Management Organization, Kate Adobaya, said structural weakness had caused the collapse, AP news agency reports.
"The foundation was not good enough," she said. "The foundation was not good enough," she is quoted as saying.
Police spokesman Freeman Tettey told the BBC that rescue teams have so far pulled out 78 people from beneath the debris - nine of them dead and 69 alive.Police spokesman Freeman Tettey told the BBC that rescue teams have so far pulled out 78 people from beneath the debris - nine of them dead and 69 alive.
It is not clear known many people are still trapped, he said.It is not clear known many people are still trapped, he said.
A team of 18 Israelis is due to arrive later on Thursday to help the rescue effort. 'Bad concrete mix'
"The team will make an initial assessment of the site using special equipment and sniffer dogs that will help identify the locations of possible survivors or corpses," Mr Mahama said. The BBC's Akwasi Sarpong reports from the scene that the rescue operation is far more organised than on Wednesday, when there was confusion, frustration and anger as people demanded to know how the shopping centre, which opened earlier this year, could have collapsed.
Our correspondent says he heard noises from under the rubble when he was at the site earlier on Thursday. Ghana Institution of Engineering Vice-President Magnus Quarshie told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that they were still carrying out their investigations into the disaster.
He saw the hands of three people, but he did not know whether they were alive, as rescuers were trying to get them out. "However, looking at the debris, it shows workmanship was very, very poor," he said.
Two pregnant women were also feared trapped, their relatives were at the site, crying and searching for them, our reporter says. "We can tell the concrete mix was not to the specifications we require," the AFP news agency reports him as saying.
'Run for my life' The building "didn't have a permit, which means that AMA [Accra Municipal Authority] may not have assigned a building inspector," he said.
A crowd has gathered, despite Vice-President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur appealing to them on Wednesday to disperse because they were hampering rescue efforts. AMA Mayor Alfred Vanderpuye said officials had been carrying out checks for the past two years to identify buildings without permits, href="http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201211/96871.php" title="Joy FM report" >"but how we missed this one, we are going to find out", Ghana's Joy FM radio station reports.
Mr Amissah-Arthur is co-ordinating rescue efforts. href="Mr Mahama acknowledged, in comments posted on his website, that the government did not enforce safety standards" title="Mr Mahama's comments" >Mr Mahama acknowledged, in comments posted on his website, that the government did not enforce safety standards when high-rise structures were built.
He said the building had collapsed shortly before the Melcom store was due to open for business on Wednesday. "We are going to put in place mechanisms to check the safety and security of other high-rise buildings and find out if there aren't any more such disasters waiting to happen," he said.
The company said it had closed all its stores in Accra on Thursday as a mark of respect for the dead. The Melcom Group of Companies, which has retail outlets across Ghana, said it had closed its stores on Thursday as a mark of respect for the dead.
In a statement on its Facebook page, Melcom said it had rented the building which housed its Achimota branch on a 10-year lease. In a statement on its Facebook page, Melcom said it had rented the building.
"This is indeed a very tragic incident," it said."This is indeed a very tragic incident," it said.
Our reporter says customers often queue outside the store before it opens. Mr Mahama has declared the area a disaster zone.
Eyewitness Ama Okyere told the AFP news agency she was very close to the shopping centre when the building came down. He cut short a trip to northern Ghana on Wednesday, where he was campaigning for the 7 December parliamentary and presidential elections.
"I had to run for my life. I was so terrified. I believe there are lots of people trapped under this because this is a heavily patronised shopping mall in the area."