One person was killed and several others injured when a ravaging fire swept through the Konongo-Odumasi Zongo in the Asante Akyem District of the Ashanti Region.
The fire, said to have been caused by explosive material (dynamite) and some substances used by local miners, also destroyed 30 shops.
All the injured were sent to the Konongo Hospital including two fire-fighters.
A fire authority said the driver of the first fire tender on the scene collapsed after his vehicle was caught in the impact and another fire-fighter sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital.
Divisional Officer Grade 2, Joe Bryden, the Asante Akyem Central Municipal Fire Commander, confirmed the story, explaining that a resident who attempted to warn fire-fighters to retreat died from the explosion.
“He was trying to warn the fire-fighters to back off, but before he could escape, the explosion occurred. He was severely injured, and I’ve been told he has passed on,” Mr Bryden disclosed.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, accompanied by some regional executives of the National Democratic Congress, visited the scene to assess the damage and offered support to affected residents last Friday.
Dr Amoakohene promised to get to the bottom of the incident, stating that investigations were ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators.
The Minister provided GH¢5, 000.00 to each of the household that was destroyed in the fire.
He has also instructed the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to ascertain the security situation and provide relief items to those in need.
The incident, he stated, served as a reminder of the importance of adhering to safety protocols and regulations, particularly “when it comes to the sale and handling of explosive materials.”
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI