Ghanaian President Promises Punishment for Deadly Building Collapse

Posted November 8th, 2012 at 6:50 am (UTC-5)
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Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama has vowed to hold responsible whoever is at fault for a deadly retail store collapse in the capital, Accra.

The six-story building collapsed early Wednesday, killing at least four people. Authorities say more than 50 people have been pulled from the rubble.

A statement from the president's office Thursday says the collapse exposed faults in the country's building codes. Mr. Mahama says other high-rise buildings need to be inspected to see if there are more “disasters waiting to happen.”

Rescue efforts are continuing, with an 18-person team from Israel expected to arrive Thursday to help search for remaining survivors.

The mall is run by Melcom, an Indian-owned company. Melcom chief operation officer Arvinder Singh denied responsibility for the collapse Wednesday, saying the company only rented the building.