Fire outbreak destroys property

Fire razed four thatched houses at Jerusalem, a farming community in the Nkoranza District, destroying property worth about eight million cedis and rendering 12 people homeless.

Mr. Peter Baffoe-Bediako, Assembly Member for the area told the Ghana News Agency at Nkoranza that property destroyed included personal effects such as clothing and cooking utensils.

He said one Mr John Adjei, a 36-year-old blind man and a drinking bar operator was a victim who lost one and a half drums of akpeteshie, four crates of Guinness, five crates of Kasapreko gin and four crates of Malta Guinness.

Mr Baffoe-Bediako said a 30-year-old woman, Madam Yaa Arko, suspected to have caused the outbreak of the fire has been arrested by the police for interrogation.

He appealed to the Nkoranza District Assembly and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to assist the victims.

In another incident at Asuoso-Ampenyuro, near Nkoranza, a 50 acre cashew farm was destroyed by bushfire.

The owner of the farm, Mr Samson Yaw Kudom, told Ghana News Agency at Nkoranza that he suspected it was an act of arson as he had prepared a fire belt around the farm.

Mr Kudom said he had reported the case to the police who are investigating to arrest the alleged perpetrator for prosecution.

He stressed the need for the law enforcing agents to strictly enforce the laws on bushfires so that offenders could be punished severely to deter others.