NADMO Issues 14-Day Evacuation Order Over Unsafe Buildings in Central Region

The Central Regional Directorate of the National Disaster Management Organization (National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO)) has issued a final evacuation directive ordering occupants of structurally unsafe and dilapidated buildings to vacate within 14 days, as authorities move to prevent further loss of life during the ongoing rainy season.

The directive, announced on June 21, 2026, was developed in collaboration with regional security agencies and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), amid growing concerns over the increasing number of building collapses and flood-related structural failures across the Central Region.

14-Day Evacuation Deadline Enforced

Under the new emergency measures, residents and tenants living in buildings officially declared unsafe—or visibly showing signs of severe structural deterioration—must immediately begin relocation arrangements and fully vacate within 14 days.

Authorities emphasized that all commercial and residential activities within these identified high-risk structures must cease without delay.

Any property that remains occupied after the expiration of the grace period will be subject to enforced demolition by local assemblies, with the full cost of demolition billed directly to property owners.

Rising Collapses Prompt Emergency Action in Cape Coast

The directive follows a series of recent structural failures intensified by torrential rains in the regional capital, Cape Coast, where emergency teams have been stretched by multiple disaster incidents.

One of the most tragic cases occurred in Gyegyeano, a suburb of Cape Coast, where a building collapse trapped multiple occupants. Rescue teams from NADMO and the Ghana National Fire Service successfully pulled a couple from the rubble, but two other victims—a 39-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl—were confirmed dead.

Additional structural failures have also been reported at London Bridge and Bakano, prompting rapid evacuation operations led by Central Regional NADMO Director Emmanuel Kwesi Dawood Mensah and Cape Coast Mayor George Justice Arthur.

Authorities Warn Against Preventable Deaths

In a strongly worded statement, NADMO officials stressed that the agency can “no longer tolerate preventable tragedies” linked to continued occupation of weakened structures, especially during periods of intense rainfall and flooding.

The warning comes as inspections reveal worsening conditions in several older buildings, many of which have been further compromised by erosion and poor drainage.

Shift Toward Long-Term Risk Reduction

Beyond emergency evacuations, NADMO and the Hydrological Authority say they are adopting a broader risk-reduction strategy aimed at preventing future disasters.

Engineering and technical teams are currently conducting large-scale safety inspections across the Central Region, assessing structurally vulnerable properties and evaluating drainage systems that have become heavily silted due to persistent rainfall.

Officials say the new approach is intended not only to respond to disasters but to proactively identify and eliminate hazards before they result in further casualties.