A massive fire has engulfed a four-storey commercial building in Adum, Kumasi, destroying several shops and causing panic among traders in the area.

The blaze, which broke out at the Blue Light arena near Hello FM in the Railways area, started around 6:00 AM and spread rapidly before fire officers arrived to contain the situation.

Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as shop owners frantically broke into their stores to salvage goods before the flames could consume them. Most of the affected shops deal in mobile phones, accessories, jewellery, and clothing.

Fire Service Response

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) confirmed the incident in a Facebook post, stating that they were alerted at 6:05 AM and dispatched the first fire appliance from the Regional Headquarters, which arrived at the scene by 6:15 AM.

"A fire has engulfed the topmost part of a four-storey commercial building at Adum, Kumasi. The GNFS was informed at 6:05 AM, and the first appliance from Regional Headquarters arrived at the fire scene at 06:15 AM," the statement read.

To tackle the inferno, additional fire engines from KNUST, Ejisu, and Twedie were deployed, along with a turntable ladder to aid in firefighting efforts.

"Rigorous firefighting efforts are underway to contain and prevent the fire from spreading further. The Regional Fire Commander, his Deputy, Operations officers, and other District Commanders are at the scene overseeing incident management," the GNFS added.

Significant losses

As of now, the full extent of the damage remains unclear, but the inferno is feared to have caused significant losses to businesses operating in the building.

Authorities are yet to determine the cause of the fire, but investigations are expected to commence once the flames are fully doused.

The incident has once again raised concerns about fire safety measures in Ghana’s commercial hubs, with traders calling for stricter enforcement of fire prevention regulations.