Fire razes destroys 13 residential apartments in Sunyani

Fire has destroyed 13 apartments and personal belongings of residents of Adomako, an emerging settlement in the Sunyani Municipality.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) investigations revealed the fire started around 1300 hours on Sunday, spread widely, and razed down the 13 apartments in the neighbourhood.

No casualty was however recorded, and most of the affected people are currently settling with friends and relatives.

The cause of the fire is yet unknown.

Nana Baffour, a 64-year, a victim told the GNA he was asleep when the incident happened but managed to escape unhurt.

Confirming the story, Divisional Officer Grade Three (DOIII) Solomon Agyemang-Duah, the Sunyani Municipal Fire Commander explained the fire reached serious dimensions when personnel of the service arrived in the neighbourhood and advised the public to engage the services of professionals to wire their buildings.

Mr Francis Konlan, the Assemblyman for Asufufu/Watchman Electoral Area in the Municipality said the victims required urgent support and appealed to the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and wealthy individuals to support them.

He urged the public to always put-off electrical gadgets before leaving their homes.

Meanwhile, traders at the Sunyani Timber Market have appealed to the government to come to their aid, following another fire outbreak that razed to the ground the timber market in the early hours of Saturday, March 27.

Quantities of parked lumber, finished products and industrial machines and equipment were destroyed in that incident, which occurred around 0400 hours at the Sunyani Area Two.

In an interview with the GNA, Kwame Acquah, one of the affected traders, said he and many other traders lost huge sums of money, hence the need for the government to support them to stay in business.

"Clearly you can see that we have virtually lost everything here. We need government intervention and support to keep us in business to fend for ourselves and our families," he told the GNA at the scene of the incident.

Other affected traders called for swift investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire outbreak.