In a dramatic afternoon incident, two children were rescued after a fire broke out at the family house of the late former Tamale Central Member of Parliament, Hon. Dr. Murtala Ibrahim, at Dohinaa Yili, a suburb of Tamale.
According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the fire started at about 3:29 p.m. and rapidly spread through the compound house. Firefighters managed to rescue the two children, who were trapped inside the building, while also preventing the flames from engulfing the entire structure.
As a result of the inferno, nine of the 17 rooms in the compound house were destroyed, while firefighters successfully contained the blaze and prevented it from spreading to the remaining eight rooms. Several occupants have consequently been displaced and are now counting their losses.
For one of the affected residents, the incident has resulted in the loss of virtually everything she owned. Speaking to Zaa News after returning from the market, she recounted how she was alerted to the fire.
“I returned from the market to prepare food when passers-by alerted me that smoke was coming from our house. I rushed there and saw fire in the first room. As I speak, we have lost everything,” she said.
Meanwhile, speaking to the media, the Northern Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, ADO1 Baba Hudu, described the rescue of the two children as one of the most significant achievements of the firefighting operation.
“The rescue of the two children was one of the biggest successes of this operation. The outcome could have been far worse if our personnel had not arrived in time,” he said.
On the cause of the fire, Mr Hudu explained that investigations have commenced, although the exact circumstances that triggered the blaze have not yet been established.
“We have commenced investigations into the cause of the fire, although it is too early to determine what triggered the blaze. The extent of the damage is also being assessed, but household items, including mattresses, clothing and other personal belongings, were destroyed in the fire,” he stated.
Beyond the immediate challenge of containing the fire, Mr Hudu also raised concerns about the poor state of some firefighting equipment available to the Service, which he said continues to pose serious challenges to emergency response.
“One of the fire tenders used in this operation is about 40 years old and carries only 500 litres of water, which can be exhausted within two minutes. This forced us to leave the scene repeatedly to refill before continuing the firefighting operation,” he explained.
Adding to the difficulties faced by the firefighters, Mr Hudu cited the absence of fire hydrants in the area as another major challenge. He therefore renewed the Service’s appeal to individuals, businesses and philanthropists in Tamale to support the construction of water reservoirs at strategic locations to strengthen emergency response.
Despite repeated appeals over the years, he lamented that the Service has yet to receive the needed support to construct such reservoirs.
“We have made several appeals over the years for support to construct reservoirs, but unfortunately we have not received any positive response,” he added.
As investigations continue, affected residents are left to grapple with the devastating consequences of the fire, while the successful rescue of the two children offers a measure of relief amid the destruction.
Source: Abdul Wahab Yumzaa Yakubu | Zaa Multimedia Reporter | www.zaaghana.com
