Authorities detain five individuals for assault on firefighters during Kumasi market fire

Ghanaian

Police have apprehended five suspects in connection with the assault on firefighters at the Kumasi race course market blaze, which resulted in the destruction of close to 200 structures.

The incident unfolded in the early hours of Monday, when a fire erupted from a corn mill at approximately 2:00 AM, rapidly engulfing numerous shops and their contents.

Upon receiving

Read full articlethe distress call, firefighters promptly deployed to the scene. However, upon arrival, they were met with hostility from a mob, who accused them of delayed response. The KATH Fire Station Commander, D.O.3 Simon Ben Boadu, refuted these claims, asserting that fire appliances reached the site within five minutes of receiving the emergency call.

"We had a call that there was a fire outbreak at the race course around 2:07 AM. Within three to four minutes, we were at the scene. We were met with an attack by some guys which delayed the process of fighting the fire. We were able to calm our nerves and started the firefighting within some minutes after the attack," recounted Boadu.

During interrogation, none of the attackers could provide evidence of having contacted the fire service. "When you ask some of them which number they called, they tell you their brothers called. Meanwhile, you don't see any evidence of a number on their phones indicating that they really called the fire service," highlighted Boadu.

Emphasizing the gravity of the situation, Boadu affirmed that the fire command is committed to ensuring the successful prosecution of the suspects, aiming to set a precedent that attacks on firefighters will not be tolerated.

"We want to promise your viewers that we are going to pursue this to the latter and whatever happens to them will be a deterrent to others that the attack on firemen must stop," stated Boadu.

At present, three of the assailants are detained at the Racecourse Police Post, while the remaining two are held at the Suame Police Station.

Meanwhile, investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. While the congested nature of the market exacerbated the spread of flames, preliminary findings suggest the fire originated from a corn mill situated at ceiling level. Further inquiries will be conducted to ascertain the exact cause.

In the aftermath of the blaze, affected traders have begun tallying their losses, urging government intervention to alleviate their substantial financial burdens. Food items, including sacks of 'kokonte' powder and onions, alongside fabrics and other merchandise, were among the extensive casualties of the inferno.

"The market is all we have to fend for ourselves and our families. I am completely down. Someone should really help us," lamented a distraught trader.

Another vendor, Salamatu, shared her despair, recounting the devastation of losing her entire stock of onions and 'kokonte' powder to the flames. Dressmakers similarly faced significant losses, with fabric and machinery consumed by the fire, leaving them in distress.