Agona Swedru Melcom shop suffers devastation

Less than three months that the six-storey building belonging to Melcom at Achimota in Accra collapsed and killed 18 people, another Melcom shop at Agona Swedru had been razed by fire.

Mr John Amponsah Tetteh, Central Regional Fire Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service, made this known to newsmen at Agona Swedru.

He said he received a distress call from Agona Swedru Fire Station at about 2130 hours on Saturday that the Melcom shop was on fire.

Mr Tetteh said when information reaching him indicated that the fire was beyond the control of the Agona Swedru Fire Station, he directed the Breman Asikuma, Gomoa Buduburam and Winneba fire stations to go and assist.

He said before they arrived, the shop had been razed to the ground by the fire.

There was no casualty but two warehouses close to the Melcom building, which were said to have been heavily stocked with goods on Saturday for Christmas sales, were also burnt, he said.

Mr Tetteh said the cause of the fire was not yet known and that investigations would be conducted to ascertain the truth of the matter.

Mr Samuel Oppong, Agona West Municipal Chief Executive, who was at the scene to assist, urged the Agona Swedru Fire Station to intensify public education on the importance of fire prevention, especially to shop owners and residents.

The manager of the Melcom shop, who looked worried, refused to talk to the press.

According to a source from the fire station at Agona Swedru, about two weeks ago the residence of the manager, which is close to the shop, caught fire but the occupants used their fire extinguisher to douse it.

Source: GNA