Blocks fall from Villaggio construction site; Assembly says high-rise remains safe

ACCRA — Blocks and construction materials fell from the upper floors of a Villaggio apartment building under construction in Accra’s Airport Residential Area on Wednesday, 21 October, as strong winds moved across the capital ahead of rainfall.

Video from the scene showed debris falling from the upper part of the site and people nearby moving away. Initial reports did not establish that the main structure had collapsed, and no injury was officially confirmed.

Read also: Nairobi: Rescue operation under way after Eastleigh high-rise collapse

Assembly says the building is safe

On 22 October, the Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly said it had inspected the site with the Engineering Council and found no indication that the building was at risk of collapsing.

Municipal Chief Executive Dr Michael Mensah said the area where the blocks fell had been cordoned off and was restricted at the time of the incident. He said no one was present in the affected area to sustain injuries.

Additional safeguards recommended

The Assembly advised the contractor to restrict new blockwork to a height of one metre and allow the concrete to cure properly before continuing. It also recommended installing safety nets around the building, particularly on the affected side, to protect people and nearby property from falling materials.

What remains unclear

The full technical assessment has not been published. The precise mix of blocks and other construction materials that fell, and the extent of any localised damage, have not been independently verified. For that reason, Accra.today is describing the event as a falling-blocks incident rather than a collapse of the entire building.

Sources

MyJoyOnline: Heavy winds send construction materials crashing from Villaggio building under construction

Citi News: Villaggio building safe, no risk of collapse – Ayawaso West Assembly

Image credit: Villaggio apartment complex, Accra — archive and illustrative photograph by Amuzujoe via Wikimedia Commons, 16 August 2020, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. The image does not depict the 21 October 2026 incident.