Ghanaian rescue workers search for survivors among the debris of a collapsed shopping mall in Accra, Nov 8, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

ACCRA - Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday ordered investigations into the collapse of the six-storey shopping building that has so far confirmed nine deaths.

National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Kofi Portuphy said in a briefing at the site that nine people confirmed death and 69 persons have been rescued by Thursday afternoon from the collapsed six-storey ultra-modern Melcom Shopping Center at Achimota, a suburb of the national capital, Accra.

The President ordered that drastic action be taken concerning other properties of the owner of Melcom Shopping Center to ascertain their safety.

Mahama gave the assurance that "anyone found culpable in this case shall face the full rigors of the law to serve as deterrent to others".

He visited the disaster site again on Thursday to welcome an eight-man Israeli rescue team. The team, led by Dan Nemet, joined Ghanaian rescue workers to dig for more survivors or bodies in the debris of the mall that collapsed after an explosion.

The president urged rescue workers to expedite action as the first 48 hours in such a disaster were crucial in rescuing survivors.

National Coordinator of Ghana's National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Kofi Portuphy said the team would continue to work day and night to ensure that rescue works were completed within a week. Meanwhile, he also blamed the collapse of the six-storey structure on negligence.

He said initial assessment carried out by the team of engineers had revealed that the structure had serious architectural defects.

According to him, even a nearby structure put up by the owner of the collapsed building also had serious defects, as the "building vibrated any time we went close to it".

He advised institutions which had business in the building to stay away from it while assessment was being carried out to determine its safety.

Vice-President of the Ghana Institution of Engineers, Magnus Quarshie, confirmed that some defects had been noticed in the construction of the collapsed building, adding that some of the iron rods used was 18-millimeter ones instead of 20 mm as required for such structures.

He observed that, as Ghana's economy was growing, emphasis would be shifting from lateral development to high-rise buildings, and cautioned however that all regulations and codes in building must be adhered to in such cases to avoid such disasters.  

The six-storey ultra-modern Melcom Shopping Center collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday, trapping both workers and patrons under the rubble.

Rescue workers look for survivors from the debris of a collapsed building rented by Melcom Ltd, which runs Ghana's largest chain of retail department stores, in Accra, in this Nov 7, 2012 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]