Pillars of a church pavilion under construction collapse near Accra as workers unload cement

Witnesses told GhanaWeb the crew was hauling cement up to a higher level of the building when it gave way. Early reports said two injured workers were taken to hospital and residents feared others were under the debris. Ghana National Fire Service crews went to the site. Video by blogger Sammy Kay Media, described by DailyGuide, showed formwork, timber scaffolding and mesh brought down near the top of the multi-storey frame, with rebar exposed.

Breaking Yoke Ministry International said in a Facebook statement that the main church is intact, that an isolated structure was affected and that there were no casualties and no one trapped, YEN.com.gh reported. The church's Pastor David told the blogger that what fell was a pavilion the church was building so members would have cover after services.

He also gave his account of the cause. The church had raised the pavilion's pillars and planned to cast beams to tie them together, he said, but the company doing the work chose to pour everything at once with ready-mixed concrete, and the fresh beams failed to brace the columns since the concrete had not yet set. YEN said it could not verify his claims. Authorities have not confirmed a cause, and the contractor has not been named.

In March, an unfinished building in Accra New Town that was being used as a church collapsed after heavy rain and killed three people, DailyGuide reported. In Uganda, inspectors said this week that a church extension that collapsed in Wakiso district had no permit.