Asokwa: Fire rips through slum, renders scores homeless

Scores of slum dwellers have been rendered homeless after fire swept through wooden structures used as accommodation at Asokwa Old Town in the Asokwa Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The fire, believed to have started from one of the structures at about 3:30 pm on Saturday, spread through other wooden structures in the enclave.

The intensity of the fire, according to fire officers, was due to the presence of combustible and highly flammable materials coupled with the wooden structures.

Many of the victims who were away when the fire started lost everything, including cash, while others who were present managed to salvage some of their belongings.

Some of the slum dwellers who rushed to the scene upon hearing the news looked on helplessly as the fire burnt the structures containing their belongings.

Other victims could not hold back their tears as they lost valuables.

One of the victims, Akolpuka Akolberi, a Kenkey seller at the slum, recounted how she was nearly consumed by the raging inferno when she tried salvaging her belongings.

“I overheard people alerting us about the fire, so I stopped what I was doing and rushed to my structure to get my belongings. The fire spread so fast, so I had to run out. My belongings, including cash, have been consumed by the fire,” she said.

Four fire engines were dispatched to the scene as fire officers battled to bring the situation under control.

The officers have started investigations to unravel the cause of the fire.

Deputy Ashanti Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service, Rashid Nisawu, said his officers were informed about the incident at about 4:08 pm, and they had to deploy fire tenders to the scene.

He said the fire was brought under control, and investigations have been launched into the incident.

He advised households to prioritize fire safety measures to prevent avoidable fire incidents.

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