Two women and a man have been confirmed dead in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, after a four-storey building collapsed on worshippers on Sunday.
The building, which was part of a school in Accra's new town area, was being used as a church, despite standing unfinished according to locals. Investigations are underway as the cause of the collapse is still unknown. However, the incident took place after heavy rainfall.
Interior minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak told the BBC it was "a very sad day for all of us". When discussing the tragedy, he revealed that there were 20 others, including women and children, who had been rescued and treated in various hospitals.
There was a "90-95% certainty" that no one remained trapped inside, he added.
Mohammed-Mubarak acknowledged that it had been difficult to determine how many people had been in the building at the time of it's collapse. He commended the efforts of emergency responders for their quick response.
Emergency teams worked through the night under floodlights searching for victims inside the church's remains. Ghana's national fire service posted images on X, showing workers at the site and an agitated crowd growing at the scene.
"Everybody in the community knows the building is very weak, yet they allowed services and activities inside," said one eyewitness.
According to the BBC, other witnesses reported hearing victims trapped in the rubble calling for help and describing the incomplete building as poorly constructed, with no maintenance since construction began.
Operations and rescue efforts to check for any more worshippers will resume once the debris has been cleared.