Breaking News: Another Fire Disaster Rocks Kumasi, Makeshift Dwelling Structures Completely Razed Down @ Dagomba Line
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service in Kumasi had another hectic time to contain a blazing fire which threatened to gut a whole makeshift neighbourhood at Afful Nkwanta suburb of Kumasi known as Dagomba Line.
The Afful Nkwanta slum area accommodates mostly hundreds of female porters (kayayei) and some scrap dealers who have for several years become virtual squatters in the sprawling suburb.
Wontumionline.com team of reporters who rushed to the scene saaid about four fire tenders from the GNFS were quickly dispatched to the disaster area to empty their contents yet it took the fire men almost one hour before they were able to subdue the blazing fire.
The Dagomba Line fire outbreak is the third incident to be recorded in Kumasi in the past two days. Yesterday at dawn several shops at Aboabo a suburb of Kumasi and at the KNUST were gutted by fire.
The cause of the outbreak of the recent incident was unknown at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, Divisional Officer Grade 3, Desmond Ackah, said the GNFS received a distressed call at around 3.50 PM on Monday and quickly his outfit mobilized five Divisional tenders to the disaster area.
“Accessibility however, posed the biggest challenge and this delayed our penetration to the disaster point.”he said.
According to him more than 500 unit structures were gutted by the fire making it pertinent for the city authorities to find accommodation for those displaced by the fire outbreak.
“ The authorities should consider making an immediate alternative arrangement to accomodate the displaced persons by providing them with descent and comfortable accommodation..” He suggested.
One of the victims told wontumionline.com that when the outbreak started from one of the shelters those who spotted it thought of creating a safe area by demolishing some of the structures to contain its spread but they were restrained.
He said the losses incurred by the occupants was huge in terms of cash and personal belongings of the squatters.
Meanwhile, the Kumasi Mayor, Hon Osei Asibey Antwi who was at the scene and apparently suspected arson called on residents to be vigilant and report all suspicious characters loitering around residential areas to the police as they could have a diabolical intention to perpetrate mayhem.
So far there has been no reported case of a casualty in the blaze.