The debris after the fire was quenched
A fierce fire that gutted parts of a densely-populated slum at European Town in Sekondi yesterday morning destroyed properties worth thousands of Ghana Cedis.
The place is said to be inhabited by alleged prostitutes, popularly called ‘Ashawo’ and other dwellers.
Although the cause of the fire was not immediately known, DAILY GUIDE learnt that it could have been caused by the usage of gas stove, which was unattended to or unattended cooking.
It took a combined team of firefighters from Sekondi Sub-Metro, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA) and the Ghana Navy to completely douse the ferocious fire.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that while some of the residents were busy trying to rescue their property, other looters also tried to cash in on the situation.
Some eyewitnesses reported that the fire started at about 5am on Tuesday after a woman used a gas cylinder to cook the previous night and forgot to put it off.
Properties lost during the inferno included electrical gadgets and home appliances, among others. But there were no fatalities.
According to information gathered, the firemen had a tough time quenching the fire because of the many scattered structures at the slum.
Some victims, who were mainly operators of provision stores and drinking spots, were the most affected.
In separate interviews, some of the victims praised the firefighters for the quick response while others blamed them for failing to respond quickly to the distress call made to them.
Fire Service
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, ADO1 Afua Pongo, of the Public Relations Unit of the Western Regional Fire Service, confirmed the fire outbreak.
She noted that the fire personnel received a distress call about the incident at 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
“And our team got to the scene at about 5:30 a.m.,” she added.
She said, “Water supply was not a challenge. But the make-up of the area had lots of wooden structures.”
ADO1 Pongo stated that the slum dwellers were using gas cylinders amidst other hazards at the area.
She disclosed that after the inferno was quenched, it was revealed that about 41 wooden structures and some metal containers were totally destroyed.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Sekondi