Crime

Fire causes havoc in Berekum

pFire gutted a four-bedroom apartment and a number of shops with items worth thousands of Ghana Cedis on Friday dawn in Berekum, in the Berekum municipality of the Brong-Ahafo Region.

According to an eyewitness, the raging fire which started around 12am emanated from a flour mill, and the blaze swept through adjoining stores and the bedroom apartment.

The eyewitness said officials of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in Berekum were called to quench the fire, but the personnel could not show up due to the breakdown of their fire tender.

As a result, GNFS personnel from Nsoatre and Dormaa Ahenkro in the region, were invited, but they could not salvage any item, as the fire had already consumed everything. 

The Berekum National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator, Kwadwo Agyekum, visited the area to assess the extent of damage caused by the fire.

He blamed the incident on overcrowding of shops around the area, adding that items destroyed by the fire runs into thousands of Ghana Cedis, but there was no casualty.

 According to him, his outfit was leasing with the Sunyani office of NADMO to assist fire victims with relief items.

Mr Daniel Baba, a shop attendant, who was sleeping in the shop when the incident happened, told the Ghanaian Times that he fled the shop and lost GH₵1,200 to the fire.

A hairdresser, Peggy Asantewaa, whose shop was also destroyed by the fire, said all her machines and equipment worth GH¢30,000.00 have been destroyed.

According to her she was at home when the incident occurred, and said that some people attempted to break into her store to salvage the items to no avail.

The Berekum Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Kofi Adjei, sympathised with the fire victims, and assured them of the assembly support.

FROM DANILEL DZIRASAH, BEREKUM

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