A fire broke out in some areas of the Dome market, destroying at least fifty (50) stores.
Shops and other structures were affected by the incident, which is said to have happened late on Sunday, January 7, 2024, around 9:30 p.m.
Speaking with Citi News, ADOII Alex Nartey, a member of the public relations department at the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) Headquarters, disclosed that the cause of the fire is presently unknown and is being looked into.
He underlined the difficulties, saying that his group could not effectively assist the scene because of the crowded market. They succeeded in putting out the fire, though.
“There was a lot of obstruction. Lack of accessibility was a big challenge for our work. Our appliance couldn’t even get through where the actual fire was. We had to park somewhere quite far from the fire scene and then drag our hoses all the way through to the fire scene, so it was quite a challenge for us. But from 9:30 to 3:30, we were able to extinguish the fire to prevent any casualties.”
He did, however, disclose that at least 50 stores were unable to escape the incident, saving approximately $500 worth of properties from destruction.
“As it stands now, we recorded 50 losses with the shops and other stores that were there, but we were able to salvage items worth over $500 from being affected by the fire.”
He emphasized that the community lacks fire stations and urged the government and authorities in the Dome and its surroundings to take fire safety into consideration.
“This is a call to the assemblies there to prioritize fire safety because the unfortunate thing is that there is not a single fire station in this area; Dome and Taifa area. If the assembly or the government had set up a fire station there and we had taken personnel there and appliances, I’m sure our response would have been shorter to avert this kind of loss.”
