VIDEO: Surging Rains Destroy Solar Structure at Mall

The accident in the Ghanaian capital of Accra damaged more than 80 cars

Heavy rains on Tuesday caused part of a shopping mall’s parking structure, which supported solar cells, to collapse. Mall officials reported no injuries, but over 80 cars were damaged. — Heavy rains on Tuesday in the Ghanaian capital of Accra caused a section of a shopping mall’s covered parking lot, which also supported solar cells, to collapse. Mall officials reported no injuries but stated that more than 80 cars were damaged.
— Image courtesy of GhanaWeb

Heavy rains in the Ghanaian capital of Accra on Tuesday caused severe damage to several carport roofs, which were also used as hubs for a massive solar cell complement, according to Ghanaweb reporting.

The covered parking area is part of the A&C Shopping Mall in the East Legon neighborhood of Accra. According to the mall’s management, over 80 vehicles were damaged when a solar panel shed at its car park collapsed.

There were no reports of injuries, but according to A & C Mall management, more than 80 vehicles were damaged when a solar panel shed at its car park collapsed.

The mall’s management attributed the incident to inclement weather and posted an online statement stating that immediate steps were being taken to address the situation.

“We regret the unfortunate incident and assure all affected individuals that we are working swiftly to resolve the issue,” the statement read.

Video credit: GTV Ghana

Videos shared on social media depict the structure being dismantled by powerful winds, leaving cars trapped under the debris. Additionally, trees in the parking lot were uprooted, causing further damage to multiple vehicles.

According to the Asaase Broadcasting Company, Tuesday's storm was the latest in a series of extreme weather events that affected parts of Accra, raising concerns over the city's infrastructure resilience.

Ghana is situated between the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and it shares borders with the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Togo.

As of the 2021 census, the city has a population of 285,000 within the Accra Metropolitan District and 5.4 million in the broader Greater Accra Region.

An arial shot of the mall before the storm (pictured).

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Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).

Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction, and community issues. He has worked at Adweek, managed a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif., and reported on finance, law, and real estate for the San Diego Daily Transcript. He later served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and was managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage.

Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure projects, new products and business.