The death toll in the six-storey shopping building collapse in Ghana's capital Accra on Wednesday has risen to eight while 69 have been rescued alive, official sources said on Thursday.

Ghana Ambulance Service released a brief statement here at the scene, saying that till now eight dead bodies were pulled out of the rubble, and 69 survived.

It was reported that initially around 55 people were trapped under the collapsed building. Xinhua has learnt that no foreigners were trapped under the rubble.

Winfred Tesia, one top official of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), told Xinhua that Ghana's President John Mahama was expected to brief the media at the scene around 2:00 p.m. when the exactly casualty figures could be released.

A combined team of the Police, Military, Fire Service and the National Ambulance Service working under the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) were still conducting the rescuing work.

An 18-man team from Israel will arrive in Ghana Thursday. A statement signed by the President's Spokesperson, John Abdulai Jinapor, said the Israeli team will be working in close collaboration with the detachment from the Field Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Army currently at the site.

Ghana's President Mahama on Wednesday suspended his campaign in the Upper East Region and flew to Accra following news of the collapse of the building. He has since visited the site and some hospitals where the rescued workers and shoppers are recuperating.

The six-storey ultra-modern Melcom Shopping Center located at Achimota, a suburb of Accra, collapsed on Wednesday morning, trapping both workers and patrons under the rubble. Endi

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