Over 470 people were rescued and numerous emergency occurrences were handled by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) during a three-day period when Accra, Tema, and nearby areas were devastated by heavy rains, flames, and structural emergencies.
The Service reports that from Sunday, June 28 to Tuesday, June 30, firemen and rescue teams were on high alert in response to several fire outbreaks, flood emergencies, rescue operations and a building collapse.
479 persons were saved or safely evacuated as a result of the efforts, which were conducted in coordination with other emergency response authorities.
But within that time, five people died, one was injured, and another is still unaccounted for.
On Sunday, June 28, firemen in Accra successfully extinguished two distinct fires without causing any injuries or fatalities, marking the start of emergency operations.
The first occurrence was at Lartebiokorshie, where at around 8:31 am, members of the Industrial Area Fire Station responded to a home fire.
By 25 minutes, the fire was under control, and by 9:29 am, it was totally put out.
Firefighters were able to prevent the flames from consuming a nearby room and hall, but the fire destroyed one room and everything in it.
After receiving a distress call at 12:49 pm, firefighters from the Trade Fair Fire Station responded to a business fire at Labadi Kojo Sardine later that afternoon.
By 1:17 pm, the fire that had partially destroyed a metal container and its contents had been put out.
According to preliminary findings, the incident may have been started by an overcharged solar panel battery.
Four fire tenders were fighting a blazing fuel tanker near Asutuare Junction.
At 6:03 a.m., firefighters were able to contain the fire before putting it out entirely.
The tanker was totally destroyed, along with everything inside. While one person died, another was injured and taken to the hospital. The precise cause of the fire is still being looked into.
In cooperation with other emergency response organisations, the GNFS stepped up rescue efforts on Monday, June 29, after heavy rains caused extensive flooding in several areas of Tema and Greater Accra.
105 individuals who were stranded by floodwaters at Tse-Ado Last Stop in Accra were successfully rescued by a coordinated effort comprising the GNFS, the Ghana Police Service’s Marine Unit, the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), and the Ghana Armed Forces.
Forty women, twenty men, and forty-five children were among those rescued and sent to safety.
Within a 24-hour period, firemen in the Tema Region reacted to 23 emergency situations, including six fire outbreaks, eight flood-related accidents, and seven occurrences involving fallen trees.
At Tema Newtown, rescue crews helped more than 50 residents to safety and saved 12 persons who were stranded by floodwaters.
One female trader, however, is still unaccounted for after being carried away by floodwaters close to the Tema Community One Market, according to the Service.
A four-story structure fell at Tabora No. 6 in Accra on Monday, prompting firefighters to attend to a structural emergency.
Fortunately, before the building collapsed, all 12 people had left, averting a potentially catastrophic incident.
No fatalities or injuries were reported during the incident, according to the GNFS.
In the Adabraka-Odawna corridor, one of the locations most severely affected by the water, firefighters had completed substantial rescue operations by the early hours of Tuesday, June 30.
Over 300 people were saved from flooding during the operation, according to the Service.
Four people, three men and one woman, died in the floodwaters despite the effective rescue operations.
A significant fire in the Odawna Rubber Market, which is close to Kwame Nkrumah Circle, was also contained by firefighters.
Firefighters stopped the fire from spreading to nearby premises, despite the fact that it destroyed a number of buildings.
A fire appliance has been stationed at the scene to monitor the area and quickly respond to any potential re-ignition, according to the GNFS, which also verified that no casualties were reported in the market fire.
Over 479 individuals were rescued or successfully evacuated during the three-day emergency operations, according to the Ghana National Fire Service.
Five deaths were reported by the Service, including one fire-related death and four flood-related deaths.
All twelve inhabitants of the fallen building survived, but one person was injured. Following the flooding in Tema, the Service also confirmed that one person is still unaccounted for.
Source: newsthemegh.com