A fire outbreak at Kasoa High Tension in the Awutu Senya East Municipality of the Central Region has destroyed more than 20 container shops, leaving several traders with significant losses.

One firefighter reportedly collapsed while battling the blaze and was rushed to the Kasoa Polyclinic for medical attention.

The fire is said to have started around 10 a.m. in a phone repair shop, with a suspected electrical fault believed to have triggered the outbreak.

According to reports, firefighters from the Kasoa Fire Station were unable to respond initially because their fire tender had broken down, prompting a team from the Weija Fire Station to intervene.

However, the responding firefighters reportedly encountered resistance from some angry residents, who allegedly pelted their fire engine with stones, damaging its windscreen.

The incident has left affected traders counting their losses, with some shop owners and eyewitnesses sharing their experiences with the media.

The Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) for the Awutu Senya East Municipality, Nash Nyandey, confirmed the incident and condemned the alleged attack on the firefighters.

Mr Nyandey attributed the incident, in part, to the location of the container shops and indicated that traders operating beneath high-tension power lines would be relocated to reduce the risk of similar disasters.

The Assembly Member for the American Town Electoral Area, Hon. Shadrach Boakye Yiadom, also described the incident as unfortunate and appealed to the government to provide urgent assistance to the affected traders.

The fire has renewed concerns about fire safety, the location of commercial structures beneath high-tension power lines and the need to ensure that emergency response services have functional equipment to respond promptly to outbreaks.

Authorities are expected to assess the extent of the damage and determine the support required by the affected traders.

Source: Nana Ansah Matthew