In an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, he explained that all fire tenders were filled with water and strategically positioned to combat the fire.

“Water was never an issue. Even the assembly provided additional water to support our efforts,” he said.

The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Friday, March 21, caused significant damage to several shops before it was fully brought under control by Sunday morning.

D.O. II Addai noted that accessibility was one of the major challenges faced by the firefighters.

“Initially, we had no access to the fire. We had to request excavators to create a pathway and assess the intensity of the flames,” he explained.

He also mentioned that most of the nearby fire hydrants were dry, which forced them to rely on water tankers.

“At that time, the hydrants were all off and dry, some tanker provided by the assembly had to fetch water while our fire tenders remained at the scene.”

Despite these challenges, he insisted that proper arrangements were made to ensure a steady water supply.

“Because of the measures we put in place, water was not a problem,” he stressed.

The incident sparked controversy when Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, confronted the fire service over what he perceived as a slow response.

In a widely circulated video, the Minister expressed frustration, questioning why a fire truck at the scene reportedly lacked water.

However, D.O. II Addai insisted that the GNFS did everything within its capacity to control the fire.

“The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) is responsible for servicing and maintaining fire hydrants, and many of them have become old,” he stated.

The fire service has since called for improved access to hydrants and better infrastructure to prevent similar challenges in future fire outbreaks.

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City authorities have given a two-day ultimatum, after which demolition will begin on Monday.

The fire, which started in a two-storey building, spread rapidly due to the dense congestion of the Blue Light Arena and the combustible nature of goods sold at the market. Shops and valuables worth millions were destroyed, leaving the once-vibrant trading hub in ruins.

A preliminary assessment by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) revealed that the intensity of the fire was exacerbated by the market’s inaccessible nature, making firefighting efforts difficult.

Assistant Chief Officer 2, Peter Tetteh, the Regional Fire Commander, has urged city authorities to create access routes in public markets and advised traders to adhere to fire safety protocols.

“The public should listen to us and adhere to the safety tips we provide. There are no roads or paths in these markets. City authorities must make these areas accessible so we can respond quickly to emergencies,” he stated.

To mitigate future fire outbreaks, authorities plan to restructure Kumasi’s markets to ensure accessibility for emergency services.

Agyeman Boadi, also known as King Zuba, representing the Ashanti Regional Minister, explained that not all traders would be affected by the evacuation but emphasized the need for relocation to prevent future disasters.

“Most of them are in unauthorized areas. While we do not have a designated relocation site yet, it is crucial to recognize that if we had a proper pathway, we would not have experienced this level of damage,” he noted.

Meanwhile, affected traders have been seen attempting to salvage what remains of their goods, while others move their items to safety, fearing the fire may spread further. Over 5,000 traders and shop owners have been impacted by the disaster.

“We have lost everything. I tried to break in to save my goods, but the smoke was too much. Authorities keep saying the same things, but we need real solutions,” a distressed trader lamented.

The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has assured victims of support.

Deputy Director General of NADMO, Ahmed Rahim, stated that the agency is collecting data on those affected and will provide assistance as directed by the President.

“Our teams are on the ground gathering data. Once the area is cleared, we will enroll affected victims and provide the necessary relief,” he assured.

The fire, which erupted in the early hours of Friday, March 21, engulfed multiple shops housed in two-storey buildings, reducing valuable goods and structures to ashes.

Even a day after the incident, traces of fire and smoke remained visible in the rubble, with burnt metal containers scattered across the area. Firefighters faced immense challenges in bringing the blaze under control due to the congested nature of the market, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) revealed.

“The market’s layout made it extremely difficult for our teams to access and contain the fire quickly,” a GNFS official said.

The intensity of the fire prompted the use of an excavator to break into shops that sustained less damage, creating access for fire service personnel to douse lingering flames.

The blaze, which started near Hello FM, spread rapidly through the commercial hub, consuming businesses and leaving shop owners devastated.

“We have lost everything. Our livelihoods are gone in a matter of hours,” a distraught shop owner lamented.

Authorities are yet to determine the full extent of the losses as investigations into the cause of the fire continue. Meanwhile, recovery efforts are underway, with emergency services working tirelessly to clear debris and assess the structural integrity of affected buildings.

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The power distribution company is reporting of some unknown persons stealing essential parts of a 500KVA ground mounted transformer near the Old Melcom at the market centre.

The suspected thieves are said to have bolted with fuses, cables, distribution pillars and other essential components of the transformer.

The illegal act has resulted in a prolonged outage impacting economic activities within the Adum Central Business Centre.

Public Relations Officer for Ashanti West Region of ECG, Benjamin Obeng Antwi, revealed the illegal act has plunged thousands of power consumers within Adum into darkness.

He bemoaned the rampant vandalism of ECG installations in the Ashanti region.

The situation, he says, is affecting the power company’s core mandate to deliver quality, reliable and safe electricity services to the region.

“Lately, people have been vandalizing our poles, cables and transformers with the latest being a 500KVA transformer at Adum near the Old Melcom. This is not the first time such a thing is happening as anytime we go there to replace a fuse, these individuals go there to steal it,” he said.

The company says it is working around the clock to restore power supply to affected customers.

“Our engineers are currently working assiduously to restore power supply to the affected customers before close of day on Tuesday. We would also want to apologize to customers and businesses affected by this illegal act and urge our customers to help protect ECG installations,” he said.

Mr. Obeng Antwi described the development as unfortunate and urged the public to own ECG installations in their various communities and be vigilant to prevent such theft cases.

“Currently, businesses are affected because once the transformer is vandalized the power supply will be curtailed so imagine if there was a hospital there, how will patients survive? If there was a school there, how would students learn? We humbly appeal to the public to help us curb the menace of transformer theft and also setting fires to burn poles,” he said.

He continued: “Without the help of our customers and the general public, we cannot stop this act alone, so please let’s be vigilant. Let’s own and protect ECG installations (poles, cables, and transformers) in our respective electoral areas”.

Eyewitnesses say the accident occurred when the driver of the Vitz with registration number AS 3897-23, experienced a brake failure.

The sudden mechanical issue caused the vehicle to veer off its designated lane and head directly towards the jewellery shop, along the roadside.

The impact of the crash was severe, shattering the shop’s glass front and causing destruction to several jewellery items on display.

Fortunately, the store’s sales manager narrowly escaped harm as he noticed the oncoming vehicle just moments before it rammed into the shop and managed to flee to safety.

However, a resident who was near the shop sustained injuries.

Inspector Ahmed Twumasi, sobbing and shedding tears, told the Asokore Mampong District Court only God knows what happened on the day of the incident.

He is said to have shot 26-year-old Victoria Dapaah, also known as Maadwoa, multiple times.

Police prosecution told the court the accused demanded a refund of Gh5,000 he allegedly paid the deceased to settle an issue between the two in the presence of a female friend.

Nhyira FM’s Ohemeng Tawiah, who was in court, reports relatives of the deceased broke down in tears as prosecution read details of the case on events leading to the shooting.

Some of them threatened to accost the suspect who was whisked away by security after the day’s proceedings.

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In this instance, fire gutted a baby shop at Adum, destroying products running into thousands of Ghana Cedis.

The fire, which started around 6:00pm on Saturday, is the second fire incident in the Adum area this weekend.

Preliminary investigations by the Ghana National Fire Service officials revealed that the shop owner lit incense close to some petroleum products in the shop.

Regional Fire Commander, ACFO Henry Giwa, expressed worry that members of the public are not adhering to the continuous education on how to handle naked fire

He has, therefore, advised the public to stick to fire protocols.

Adumhene Baffour Agyei Kesse IV, who visited the affected area, admonished the tenants to adhere to fire education and sensitisation tips.