Slum dwellers at the Dagomba Line populated settlement at Afful-Nkwanta this year, despite promises from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to conduct a comprehensive investigation to prevent recurring incidents.
The fire reportedly started around 4:30 a.m. on Monday, with officials yet to determine the cause. Over 250 wooden shacks along the stretch were engulfed, leaving residents—including women, children, and men—homeless. No casualties were recorded, though some victims suspect arson.
Jibrin Nasiru, a community leader, recounted the incident:
“It happened very early in the morning, around 4:30 a.m. People were shouting that there was a fire, and we woke up to find our homes engulfed in flames. We tried our best to control it, and within a few minutes, the fire service arrived and helped bring the fire under control.”
Properties worth thousands of cedis, including personal belongings, were destroyed by the blaze.
The slum is an abode for the youth who migrated from the northern part of the country in search of job opportunities down south.
“Everyone puts up structures anywhere, so the place is congested. It’s worrying but we have no option, we need proper management and guidelines that would enable us put up the structures to avoid all these,” another victim, Mahammud Bawah Zakaria, said.
The recent fire is the third to hit the area following a double blaze witnessed within a two-week period in January this year.
Visiting the area after the earlier fire event, Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyeman-Boadi assured of investigations to end the perennial fires.
However, JoyNews checks reveal the office is yet to present report and a roadmap for reconstruction works in the enclave.
When the news team visited the scene after the unfortunate incident, the residents had begun clearing debris as they attempted to rebuild their homes.
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