“Building Collapses at London Bridge in Cape Coast, Trapping 5 — A Stark Wake-Up Call We Can’t Ignore”
A few years ago, I remember walking through Cape Coast on a warm afternoon, just after the rains. I was near the London Bridge area — you know, that spot where the road curves near those old shops and you can smell kenkey and fried fish from a mile away. The place was bustling, like always. People shouting, taxi horns blaring, music playing from nowhere and everywhere all at once. It had that typical Cape Coast energy. But today? That same place has become a scene of horror.
A building just collapsed.
Not a shack. Not a container. A real building. Right there by London Bridge. And from the reports trickling in, five people were trapped. Two are feared dead. I read that and just paused. I mean... these are real people. With families. Plans. Dreams. And just like that — crushed, buried under concrete and silence.
Honestly, I don’t even know how to process this.
We’ve heard stories like this before, haven’t we? Buildings collapsing in Accra, Kumasi… and now Cape Coast is added to that sad list. Every time it happens, it feels like déjà vu. The headlines roll in, the social media outrage sparks up, and then… nothing. The news cycle moves on. We move on. Until it happens again.
But here's the thing — this isn’t just about a weak building. It’s about the bigger cracks in the system. How did a building in a public, busy area like London Bridge reach a point where it just gave up? Was it poor construction? No maintenance? Neglect? Corruption? (I hate to go there, but you know how things work around here.)
In my experience, when tragedies like this hit close to home, people suddenly realize how fragile life is — and how little protection they actually have. One minute you're grabbing waakye from the lady under the bridge, the next minute the roof is on top of you. It’s terrifying.
And I can’t help but think about the families. Imagine getting that phone call. Or worse, scrolling Facebook and seeing your cousin’s name under "Feared dead in Cape Coast building collapse.” Chills.
But beyond the sadness, there’s anger. Real, boiling anger. Because this could’ve been prevented. We can’t keep brushing these things off like they’re random acts of nature. They’re not. They’re symptoms of a deeper rot — unapproved structures, weak enforcement, corner-cutting contractors, and authorities looking the other way.
Now I know I might be ranting a bit, but I just feel we’re too comfortable with reacting after the damage is done. Like, when was the last time we demanded building inspections in our neighborhoods? Or pushed our leaders to make safety a real priority instead of just a campaign slogan?
Look, I’m not an engineer. I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I do know that people shouldn’t have to die just because a building couldn’t stay standing.
So here we are — Cape Coast, the historic heartbeat of Ghana, shaken again. And I can't help but wonder…
How many more have to fall before we finally fix what’s broken?
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