Makola Fire: Obstructions on Water Hydrants And Human Congestion Impeded Fire Fighters
The Head of Public Relations, Divisional Officer II, Mr Ellis Robinson Okoe, of GNFS, told the media that they were able to save two floors out of the four-storey building, adding that the Ghana National Fire Service had a distress call at 9:00 am hours and arrived at the scene within 10 minutes but had difficulty accessing the place, and the water hydrants.
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A closed source amongst Firefighters at the post on Monday, July 5, 2021, has revealed that the challenge of obstructions on Water Hindrances around Makola market as well as human and vehicular congestion accumulated the spread of the fire.
The 10 fire tenders from both Fire Service and Ghana Armed Forces were used in controlling the inferno, which affected a four-storey building filled with general merchandise.
However, dozens of firemen had a hard time extinguishing the fire but were able to control it after over five hours of relentless work.
The Head of Public Relations, Divisional Officer II, Mr Ellis Robinson Okoe, of GNFS, told the media that they were able to save two floors out of the four-storey building, adding that the GNFS had a distress call at 9:00 am hours and arrived at the scene within 10 minutes but had difficulty accessing the place, and the water hydrants.
He opined, that all fire hydrants at the Makola Market did not have the needed excessive pressure, for which they needed to go to Alajo, Nkrumah Circle, and the Ministries to refill their water tenders to combat the fire.
The PRO noted, that though many shops at the Market had fire extinguishers, the shop owners could not use them when the fire started because they did not know how to operate the extinguishers, whilst others could not have access to it due to enormous human congestion at the market place.
Robinson Okoe, fumed, that traders should exercise patients over the loss of their properties but used the period to always adhere to the protocol by firstly inform GNFS before they use other alternatives whenever there is a fire outbreak in their shops.
Some of the traders shared their ordeal with the media over perceptions of inadequate commitment on the part of fire service workers.
Mr Opare, a shop owner hinted that the first fire tender arrived at the scene without water and it took the GNFS about one hour before the other water tenders arrived at the scenes and begin to quench the fire but added that by then the fire had already spread to the other shops.
"He blamed the Fire Service personnel for allowing the fire to get out of hand, due to their none proactiveness".
Another trader, named Cecilia, stated, that "the fire started around 07:30 and claimed we called Fire Service but they allegedly undermined it and reported at the scenes around 9:30 am, "they are the caused of our downfall", she stressed.
The incident affected trading activities at the Central Business District with many shops closed. The police were called in early to cordoned off the area for safety and effective fire fighting.
The cause of the fire is officially not in the public domain.
Makola market has experienced many fire outbreaks but this is the first major outbreak over the past five years and it is causing panic amongst traders in and around the market
Thousands of Wealth burnt to ashes and including Cosmetics, jewellery, fabrics and electronics gadgets were all destroyed.
William Ofori Akwaboa, Eastern Regional Correspondent
