A fire that broke out in the Makola Mall in Accra, directly across from the Ghana School of Law, burnt more than 200 stores. The fire broke out on Saturday at around 12:24 a.m and its source is yet unknown.
The incident was confirmed by Alex Nartey, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Fire Service ADO2, in an interview with Adom News. According to ADO2 Nartey, firefighters from the Makola Fire Station promptly arrived at the scene within two minutes.
However, due to the rapid spread of the fire, they had to request for additional support. It took approximately five hours for them to extinguish the fire, during which there were multiple explosions involving the items stored in the shops. The affected shops primarily sold wigs and perfumes, which are highly combustible, thereby contributing to the escalation of the fire.
“We realised there were gas cylinders because some of the traders cook and leave them in the shops. The lives of our men were in danger, and at a point, they had to jump over walls for safety, but we managed to salvage over 3,000 shops,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Greater Accra Regional Commander of the GNFS, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO I) Roberta Aggrey-Ghanson, has stated that the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
According to Aggrey-Ghanson, the explosions heard during the fire outbreak were a result of cosmetic products being exposed to excessive heat and burning.
During a visit to the Mall to assess the extent of the damage, the Mayor of Accra, Elizabeth K.T. Sackey, expressed that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) would await a report from the GNFS before determining the next course of action.
In light of the incident, Mayor Sackey appealed to traders to always take precautionary measures to prevent similar fire outbreaks in the future. While some traders were tallying their losses, eyewitnesses emphasized the importance of finding a lasting solution to fire outbreaks, including addressing the placement of makeshift structures to ensure easy access to stores in the event of disasters.
