The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) says its crews pulled 479 individuals to safety and handled dozens of crisis calls over three days as heavy rain, blazes and structural incidents hit Accra, Tema and nearby areas hard.
The Service reported that fire officers and rescue units stayed on standby from Sunday, June 28, through Tuesday, June 30, dealing with multiple fires, flood emergencies, rescue missions and a collapsed structure. The work, done alongside other emergency services, led to the rescue or orderly evacuation of 479 people.Still, five people died in the period, one was hurt, and one remains unaccounted for.
The response started on Sunday, June 28, when firefighters put out two separate fires in Accra with no injuries or deaths.The first call came from Lartebiokorshie, where the Industrial Area Fire Station responded to a house fire at around 8:31 a.m.
The flames were contained in 25 minutes and fully out by 9:29 a.m. One room and its contents were lost, but crews saved a nearby room and living area from catching fire.Later that day, the Trade Fair Fire Station answered a commercial fire at Labadi Kojo Sardine following an alert at 12:49 p.m.The fire, which partly damaged a metal container and what was inside, was under control by 1:17 p.m.
Early findings point to an overloaded solar battery as the likely cause.At the same time at Asutuare Junction, four fire trucks fought a tanker engulfed in flames. Firefighters had the blaze contained by 6:03 a.m. and extinguished it fully after.
The tanker and its cargo were burnt out. One person was injured and taken to hospital, while another died. Investigators are still working to determine the cause.On Monday, June 29, after heavy downpours caused extensive flooding in parts of Greater Accra and Tema, the GNFS ramped up rescue work with other emergency agencies.
At Tse-Ado Last Stop in Accra, a combined team from the GNFS, the Ghana Police Service’s Marine Unit, NADMO, and the Ghana Armed Forces got 105 people out of floodwaters. The group included 40 women, 20 men and 45 children, all taken to safety.
In the Tema area, fire crews responded to 23 emergencies in 24 hours: six fires, eight flood cases and seven incidents with fallen trees.Rescue teams freed 12 people trapped by water and helped more than 50 residents at Tema Newtown to safety.
However, the Service said a female trader is still missing after floodwaters swept her away near the Tema Community One Market. Also on Monday, crews responded to a structural collapse at Tabora No. 6 in Accra after a four-storey building came down.
All 12 people inside had left before it collapsed, avoiding what could have been a serious tragedy.The GNFS confirmed there were no injuries or deaths in that collapse.
By the early hours of Tuesday, June 30, firefighters had wrapped up large-scale rescues in the Adabraka-Odawna area, one of the worst-hit flood zones.The Service said over 300 people were pulled from floodwaters there.Even with the rescues, four people—three men and one woman—died in the floods.Firefighters also contained a large fire at the Odawna Rubber Market near Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
Several structures were damaged, but crews stopped the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. The GNFS confirmed no casualties from the market fire and said a fire engine has been posted at the site to watch for flare-ups and respond quickly if needed. Summing up the three-day response, the Ghana National Fire Service said more than 479 people were rescued or safely moved out.
The Service recorded four deaths linked to flooding and one from fire, for a total of five fatalities.
One person was injured, and all 12 occupants of the collapsed building survived. The Service also confirmed that one person is still missing after the flooding in Tema.
