GhArticles.com Every News in Detail
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has revealed that the closest fire stations to the Adum Market fire outbreak could not respond immediately because their fire tenders were out of commission.
The fire, which erupted in the early hours of Friday, March 21, quickly engulfed parts of the busy market, leaving traders in panic as they attempted to salvage their goods.
Speaking to Joy News, GNFS Public Relations Officer Alex King Nartey admitted that the lack of functional fire engines at the Komfo Anokye and Kumasi Metro fire stations delayed their response.
“As we have always bemoaned the outdated nature of our fire tenders, the closest station that could have attended to the situation would have ideally been the Komfo Anokye or our Metro station. But unfortunately, both fire tenders were out of commission, and so we had to fall on our regional headquarters, which is a 20-minute drive away,” he explained.
Despite this challenge, he commended the fire officers for their swift efforts.
“Though it was 20 minutes away, our officers were able to get there in 10 minutes, arriving at the scene around 06:15,” Nartey added.
The incident has reignited concerns about Ghana’s firefighting infrastructure and the urgent need to equip the GNFS with modern fire tenders to improve emergency response.
