2 toddlers dead in church building collapse in Volta Region

Three-year-old Prince Baka and four-year-old Mariam Damali, met their untimely death after they were trapped in the collapsed wall of a church building, which was providing them shelter during a downpour.

The pupils, about 40, were enrolled into the new community school established by the Church, Jesus Kingdom Ministry, in the Alorgui suburb of Dzodze; just by the access route to the Republic of Togo.

Kingdom International School, which started three months ago, has been operating without clearance from the District Education Service. The Managers house the kids in a wooden pavilion, fenced with mats made from palm branches, and corrugated iron roofing.

Citi News gathered that, the children were in the makeshift classroom when the rains started, and the teachers had to relocate them to the church building nearby.

While in the chapel, the wall on the altar collapsed on 18 of the children killing two instantly.

The rest who sustained various degrees of injury including fractures and dislocations, were rushed to the St Anthony’s Hospital in Dzodze.

The District Manager of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Mr. Atikese who has been leading investigations into the collapsed building observed, the church building has structural defects.


The Public Relations Officer of the Education Service, Benjamin Dunyo, who was outwardly disappointed by the situation, disclosed that his outfit started an exercise to close down schools that are operating illegally in the district, but was yet to discover the said school.

Meanwhile, the owner of the school, Pastor Sosu Baka, who also lost his son in the incident, was remorseful and promised to regularize his operations with the Ghana Education Service.

Citi News‘ visit to the hospital saw the surviving sixteen (16) children on admission, who are responding to treatment according to hospital officials.

The Dzodze incident followed a similar one that occurred at Adrakpo, in the Akatsi South District, where a young girl lost her life after a school building owned by a local church collapsed on her.



source: citifmonline.com