Fire destroyed several properties, running into thousands of cedis, at Town Council Line, Latebiokorshie, in the Ablekuma Central Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, yesterday.
Properties destroyed included, one brand new car, two kiosks, container serving as a home, cylinders, two blenders, rice cooker, television set and clothes.
The incident was said to have occurred on at about 1am, after a man in the area was seen burning rubbish behind the container.
It is believed that a box of can spray in one of the kiosk caught fire and spread through to the other boxes, leading to an explosion.
The fire subsequently spread to the container and other kiosks, and the taxi which was parked besides the kiosk.
Speaking to Ghanaian Times, a victim of the incident who gave her name only as Regina, said she was asleep when she heard noise that sounded like gun shots, only to be alerted by her landlady that there was a fire outbreak.
According to her, she lost her home, and an oven, two cylinders, two blenders, a rice cooker, a television set, her clothes, items worth GH¢8,000, and GH¢300 cash.
The Assembly Member for the area, Mr Muntari Wahab, said that the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), had been informed about the incident to consider supporting the victims with relief items.
“NADMO has assessed the state of damage and will give us a report from which we will see whether any assistance will be given to the affected people,” he said.
However, Mr Wahab mentioned that “most of the structures here are unauthorised, that gives you a disadvantage, making it difficult for relief items to be given to victims.”
He cautioned the public against burning of refuse, stating that “there is no need for somebody to gather rubbish to burn because the Zoomlion trucks and tricycles come around for them.”
The Deputy Director of NADMO for the Ablekuma Central Municipality, Mr Stephen Amesimeku, stated that some people were unaware of issues relating to fire outbreak, for which reason the organisation would intensify its education on fire safety measures to avoid incidents.
“We need to intensify our education programme on fire prevention and safe fire usage that we’ve been doing,” he explained.
Mr Amesimeku indicated a report on the incident would be presented to the regional office of NADMO for the appropriate action to be taken.
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR & ELSIE COMMODORE