Ghana - Faulty Construction Blamed for a Collapse - NYTimes.com The Ghanaian authorities on Thursday blamed faulty construction for the collapse of a five-story building in Accra, Ghana's capital, that killed at least nine people and trapped dozens of others until they were freed by crews picking through broken concrete with axes. The structure, which housed a popular home goods store, crumbled early Wednesday, just nine months after it was built in a working-class neighborhood. Kate Adobaya, a spokeswoman for Ghana's National Disaster Management Organization, blamed structural weaknesses for the building's collapse. President John Dramani Mahama said those responsible would be punished.