A fierce blaze tore through a slum community belonging to the Ghana Railway Corporation in the early hours of Wednesday, 10th September, in Sekondi in the Western Region.
According to a Facebook post shared by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the fire, which broke out at dawn, ravaged 41 wooden structures and seven metal containers, destroying several household items.
Fortunately, no casualties were recorded.
The inferno threatened to engulf over 600 nearby wooden structures and adjoining buildings, but the timely intervention by the GNFS, led by Metro Fire Commander DO II Michael Tetteh, brought the flames under control within an hour.
Emergency reinforcement was provided by personnel from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, ensuring an adequate and sustained water supply to fight the blaze.
According to GNFS, preliminary investigations suggests that the fire may have been caused by unattended gas cooking, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
“While investigations continue, unattended gas cooking is suspected to have caused the fire,” the post read.
