Personnel from the security services, particularly the Ghana Police Service, on Wednesday had tough time controlling thousands of people who had besieged the vicinity of the collapsed Melcom Shopping Centre at Achimota in Accra.
The six-storey building was believed to have collapsed around 0940 hours with an unknown number of people trapped beneath.
As of 1400 hours three persons were confirmed dead with more than 50 feared trapped under the rubble.
Mr Nurudeen Iddrisu, Acting Administrator of the Achimota Hospital, said 23 people had been sent to the hospital and were responding to treatment.
Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who rushed to the site, described the accident as a national disaster.
As at the time of his visit rescue teams were at the site busily trying to reach survivors whilst earth moving equipment are trying to make sure that ventilation reaches those trapped.
The Vice President was accompanied by Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuye, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive Officer, Lieutenant General (Rtd) Henry Smith, Minister of Defence and Elizabeth Sackey, Member of Parliament of Okaikoi North.
Meanwhile an official statement signed by John Abdulai Jinapor, Presidential Spokesperson, said President John Dramani Mahama had directed the Vice President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, to lead the rescue mission.
Other officials included are the Chief of Staff, Mr John Martey Newman the Interior and Defence Ministers and the Security Chiefs tasked to supervise and coordinate the rescue efforts.
The statement said President Mahama had suspended his campaign tour of the Upper East Region and was heading back to the Accra and move to the site of the collapsed building at Achimota.
It said the President was minutes away from his first point of call, Bawku, when he received briefing from the Chief of Staff on the incident.
"The President was informed about the collapse of the building a short while ago and he is returning to Accra immediately," a source close to the presidency told the Ghana News Agency.